The Philippines is an archipelago.
Luzon ( [ luːˈzɒn ] [ luˈson ] , is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines . Manila . Spanish rule of the Philippine archipelago lasted for more than three centuries , until 1898 . The Philippines ( [ ˈfɪlᵻpiːnz ] Pilipinas [ ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs ] ) , officially the Republic of the Philippines ( [ Republika ng Pilipinas , links = no ] ) , is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean . During this time , Manila became the western hub of the trans-Pacific trade connecting Asia with Acapulco in the Americas using Manila galleons .