The Republic of the Philippines is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 sq km. It borders the Philippine Sea on the east, the South China Sea on the west, and the Celebes Sea on the south.

Located on the northwestern fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines has experienced frequent seismic and volcanic activities. Around 20 earthquakes are registered daily, though most are too weak to be felt. The last major earthquake was the 1990 Luzon earthquake.