The Philippines is a country in Asia.
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 . It is the eighth-most populated country in Asia and the 12th most populated country in the world . It is a founding member of the United Nations , World Trade Organization , Association of Southeast Asian Nations , the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum , and the East Asia Summit . It is one of the only two predominantly Christian nations in Southeast Asia , the other being East Timor .