The Philippines may have 400 more “previously unknown” islands in addition to the 7,107 on record.

A Radyo Inquirer report said the National Mapping and Resource Information (Namria), a mapping agency under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, found the new islands mostly in Mindanao, bring the total islands in the archipelago to about 7,500.

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DENR Secretary Ramon Paje made the announcement in his speech during the Philippine Environment Summit at the SMC Convention Center in Pasay City on Wednesday, the report said.

Namria deputy administrator Jose Cabanuyan Jr. was quoted as saying that the islands were discovered through a gadget called Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar.

The report said the new technology was able to count the islands, which were previously perceived to be part of a big island, as separate land masses.

A landmass can be considered an island only if it is above sea level and high tide and can support plant or animal life, the report added. YG with reports from Den Macaranas, Radyo Inquirer 990AM/CDG

READ: New PH map with ‘West Philippine Sea’ name to be out soon – Namria

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