ABSTRACT
Metro Manila is the focus of the economic and political life of the Philippines. It is home to around 12 million people, putting it on the list of the world’s 20 largest urban regions, with a population growing by around a million new residents every five years. Within the city-region, there are 17 local government units, in eight cities and nine municipalities. The overall metropolis occupies over 640 square kilometres on Luzon Island, along the eastern shore of Manila Bay at the mouth of the Pasig River. The river bisects the city, flowing from its new settlement areas to join the sea at old Manila.
