Network structure and centrality analysis of the Philippine multi-modal transport system

Abstract

This study constructs a multi-modal transportation network integrating land, sea, and air systems using data from multiple publicly available sources. Service-level and location-level networks are developed to capture both mode-specific structures and overall connectivity. Betweenness centrality is used to identify key hubs and critical connector nodes.
Results show that air transport exhibits the most efficient long-distance connectivity through a hub-and-spoke structure centered on major airports, while land transport exhibits the broadest coverage in terms of number of nodes and edges, but also the strongest dependence on a few interchange hubs. In contrast, sea transport distributes connectivity more evenly across regional ports. Network integration improves overall connectivity, though some areas remain relatively disconnected. The findings highlight the importance of key hubs in maintaining system cohesion and provide a foundation for future disruption and resilience analysis.