The Greater Manila Area (Filipino: Malawakang Maynila) is the contiguous urbanization region surrounding the Metropolitan Manila area.
This built-up zone includes Metro Manila and the neighboring provinces of Bulacan to the north, Cavite and Laguna to the south, and Rizal to the east.
[1][2] Though sprawl continues to absorb new zones, some urban zones are independent clusters of settlements surrounded by non-urban areas.
In early 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the area was also referred to as the "NCR Plus" or "NCR+" (National Capital Region Plus) by authorities, with regard to the designation of community quarantines.
[3] The Greater Manila Area is composed with 34 cities (16 highly urbanized cities, and 18 component cities) and 74 municipalities.