The Philippines (i/ˈfɪlɨpiːnz/; FI-lə-peenz; Filipino: Pilipinas [ˌpɪlɪˈpinɐs]), officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (Filipino: Repúblika ng Pilipinas), is a sovereign island country in Southeast Asia situated in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait…