The Philippines constitutes an archipelago of 7,107 islands with a total land area of approximately 300,000 square kilometers (116,000 sq mi). The Philippines lies between 116° 40' and 126° 34' E. longitude, and 4° 40' and 21° 10' N. latitude, and borders the Philippine Sea on the east, the South China Sea on the west, and the Celebes Sea on the south. Near to the Philippines is the island of Borneo which lies just a few hundred kilometers southwest with Taiwan directly to the north. The Moluccas and Sulawesi are to the south, and Palau is to the east just beyond the Philippine Sea.

The Philippines Ilands are commonly divided into three island groups: Luzon (Regions I to V, NCR and CAR), Visayas (VI to VIII), and Mindanao (IX to XIII and ARMM). Manila is the busiest port on Luzon, as-well as the national capital. Manila Philippines is the second largest city after its suburb Quezon City.

The local climate throughout the Philippines is hot, humid, and tropical. The average yearly temperature is around 26.5 °C (79.7 °F). The Philippines has three recognized seasons: Tag-init or Tag-araw (the hot season or summer from March to May),
Tag-ulan (the rainy season from June to November), and Taglamig (the cold season from December to February).

The southwest monsoon season is from (May-October) is known as the "habagat" and is considered the low season for Boracay. The dry winds of the northeast monsoon (November-April) as the "amihan", these are the most favored months to visit Boracay, as the tide and winds are calm on Boracay Beach.

Most of the mountainous islands within the Philippines were once covered in tropical rainforest and were volcanic in origin. The highest point in the Philippines Archipelago is Mount Apo on the Island of Mindanao at 2,954 meters (9,692 ft). There are many active volcanos here, such as the Mayon Volcano, Mount Pinatubo, and the Taal Volcano.

The Philippine Islands also lie within the typhoon belt of the Western Pacific and about 19 typhoons strike each year.

Lying on the northwestern fringes of the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippines experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activities. Some 20 earthquakes are registered daily in the Philippines, though most are too weak to be felt. The last great earthquake was the 1990 Luzon earthquake.

The longest river in the Philippines is the Cagayan River of northern Luzon. The nearly circular Manila Bay, is connected to the Laguna de Bay by means of the Pasig River. Subic Bay, the Davao Gulf and the Moro Gulf are some of the important bays. Transverse of the San Juanico Strait is the San Juanico Bridge, that connects the islands of Samar and Leyte.