The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands, with a land area of 299,764 km. The country is bounded by the
Pacific Ocean on the east, the Celebes Sea on the south and the South China Sea on the west and north. It groups in
three geographical areas from North to South: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. As of September 2009, there are 17
regions, 80 provinces and 120 cities. Metro Manila, the country’s capital, is situated in west coast of Luzon and is
classified as the National Capital Region, composed of 16 cities and one municipality.