Philippine History/PSCI-101

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The Philippine Setting

The Philippine Setting

This lesson focuses on Philippine geography – its islands, mountains,

rivers, coastline, climate and products that comprise the Philippine
archipelago. Philippine geography explains the features of our country vividly.
Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
1. describe the Philippines and its islands;
2. identify the important landmarks of the Philippines;
3. identify the major products of the country; and
4. describe its climate.

In this lesson, we refer to geography as the physical features of our country

– the Philippines – its land, its climate, natural resources and its people in
general.
The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia between the South China Sea
and the Pacific Ocean. It is composed of 7,107 islands and islets including the
three big islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Luzon is the largest island;
Mindanao is the second largest island; and Visayas is the smallest among the
three.
Most Filipinos live on the islands of Luzon and Mindanao, which make up
two-thirds of the total land area. The country is prone to frequent earthquakes,
volcanic eruptions and typhoons.
The Philippines’ closest neighboring countries are Taiwan (to the north)
and Malaysia and Indonesia (to the south).
The capital city of the Philippines is Manila, located in Luzon.

Size and Shape

The shape of the Philippines is an elongated archipelago. It covers an
area of approximately 115,830 square miles and a coastline of 22,549 miles.
The length is 1,851 kilometers or 1,150 miles and a width of 1,062
kilometers or 660 miles.
The Philippines has the longest irregular coastline in the world with
36,290 kilometers in length.
It has 61 natural harbors (20 landlocked strait).
Course Module
 Manila Bay is said to be the finest harbor in the Far East.

Surrounding Bodies of Water

North - Luzon Strait
East - Philippine Sea
South - Celebes Sea
West - South China Sea
Terrain Points

Mountain Systems
Philippines’ mountain systems are found in its three big islands:
Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
In Luzon, these mountain ranges serve as protective barriers.
1. Caraballo Mountain has its highest peak in the intersection of Abra,
Ilocos Norte and Cagayan.
2. Cordillera mountain lies at the wet region of the Cagayan River
3. Sierra Madre Mountain, known as the longest and continuous
mountain range in the Philippines, starts at Baler, Quezon to Isabela
province, Nueva Vizcaya and Cagayan.
4. Tagaytay range forms the mountain system in the southern Tagalog
Region as it traverses through Cavite, Batangas with Mount Makiling.
5. Zambales range begins at Cape Bolinao in Pangasinan and follows the
China seacoast to the Bataan Peninsula
In the Visayas regions:
1. The Mindoro mountain range is divided into three ranges which all
start at Mt. Halcon: the northwest ending at Calavite Point, a landmark
of ships that pass between Manila Bay and Mindoro Strait; the east
which starts from Lake Naujan and the west which follows the Mindoro
Strait.
2. Panay ranges from North to South that separates Antique from Iloilo,
Capiz and Aklan.
In Mindanao:
1. Surigao ranges along the contours of the Pacific coast
2. Butuan ranges to the southern part and forms the watershed of
Agusan River on the eastern part and the Pulangi River on the western
part
3. The Central-Western ranges of which Mt. Apo is the highest
4. Western range which originates from the west of Iligan Bay and ends
in the shore of Basilan Strait.

Prominent Mountains
The top ten highest peaks in the Philippine archipelago are concentrated
mainly on its two largest islands. Luzon Island, home of the grand Cordillera
Mountains, has the 3rd, 6th, 9th and 10th highest while the rest, including the
highest peak, are found in the island of Mindanao.
 Philippine History/PSCI-101
3
The Philippine Setting

1. Mt. Apo (Davao)

2. Mt. Dulang-Dulang
3. Mt. Pulag
4. Mt. Kitanglad
5. Mt. Kalatungan
6. Mt. Tabayoc
7. Mt. Ragang
8. Mt. Maagnaw
9. Mt. Timbac
10. Mt. Zambales (Zambales)
11. Mt. Taal (Batangas)
12. Mt. Makiling (Laguna)
13. Mt. Halcon (Mindoro)
14. Mt. Kanlaon (Negros)
15. Mt. Banahaw (Quezon)

The Philippines has numerous volcanoes of which ten are considered

active. Listed below are the most famous among the volcanoes:
 Iraya in Batanes Island
 Taal in Batangas – the smallest volcano in the world.
 Banahaw in Quezon
 Mayon in Albay – the most active
 Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin Island
 Makaturing in Lanao
 Apo – between Davao and Cotabato– the highest mountain

River Systems
The Philippines has extensive but small river systems which are mostly
delineated by the mountain ranges:
 Rio Grande de Cagayan (Cagayan River) in Cagayan Valley, the
longest river in the Philippines
 Agno Grande in Benguet
 Abra River in Cordillera
 Rio Grande de Pampanga in Pampanga
 Rio Grande de Mindanao

Climate
The Philippines is situated at the torrid zone, thus, it has a tropical
climate. The country has two seasons: dry and wet.

Course Module
 The dry season occurs from December to April and wet or rainy
season starts from May to December.

Natural Resources and Products.

The Philippines is rich in natural resources. Its rich valleys and fertile
plains produce diverse crops. Some products are for export and the rest are
for local consumption. The staple crop of the country is rice and it is largely
produced in the Central Plains of Luzon. Other produced products are: abaca,
copra, gums, resins, rubber and sugar.

Mineral Resources
There is an abundance of minerals found in Philippine soil, with the
exception of petroleum and a number of metals. Our metal deposits are
estimated at 21.5 billion metric tons, while non-metal deposits are projected
at 19.3 billion metric tons.

1. Nickel ranks first in terms of deposits and size. It is found in Surigao del
Norte, Davao, Palawan, Romblon and Samar.
2. Iron is found in Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija, Camarines Norte and Cotabato.
3. Copper may be found in Zambales, Batangas, Mindoro, Panay and Negros.
Among non-metal deposits, the most abundant are cement, lime, and
marble. Other non-metals include asbestos, clay, guano, asphalt, feldspar,
sulfur, talc, silicon, phosphate, and marble.

Fishery Resources

1. There are 2,400 fish species found in the country, 65 of which have
good commercial value. Other marine products found in the Philippines
include corals, pearls, crabs and seaweeds.
2. Some of the country’s best salt water fishing areas are found in
Sintangki Island in Sulu, Estancia in Bohol, Malampaya in Palawan,
Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan, San Miguel lake in Camarines Norte,
Bantayan Channel in Cebu, and the seas of Quezon and Sorsogon.
3. The largest fishing areas in the country are Laguna de Bay, Bombon
Lake in Batangas, Bato Lake in Camarines Sur, Naujan Lake in Mindoro
and Mainit Lake in Agusan del Norte.

References
Agoncillo, Teodoro A. (1990). History of the Philippines. Garo Tech Books
Inc.: Quezon City
Malabuyoc, Edwin (2008). Philippine History. Jimsy Publishing House:
Malabon City