Clarin, Neomi L.

KAS 1
2023-05294 02/27/24

“Significance of Palawan to the Formation of the Philippine Island Arc System”

Studying about the Philippines’ history is very important to understand the roots of our

traditions, cultures, and the different events that happened in the past and how it has shaped

our country’s present. But more importantly, we should also understand how the Philippine

Island Arc was formed. For that, we will analyze the video titled "How the Philippine Island Arc

was Formed by Dr. Carla Dimalanta'' which provides a detailed discussion on the geological

processes that led to its formation. The discussion includes information on the geological

features, seismic activities, and the historical evolution of the Philippine archipelago. This

critique will examine Dr. Dimalanta's presentation by analyzing the geological events discussed,

evaluating the clarity of the explanations provided, and assessing the significance of the findings

presented.

At the start of the video, Dir. Dimalanta begins by giving context on the geographical

location of the Philippines. It is stated that the country is located at the Southeast part of Asia

and is trapped at the margins of the Eurasian Plate and Philippine Sea Plate. Furthermore, the

islands were said to be produced from the collision of the geologic blocks which also resulted in

volcanic activities, seismic activities, and the emplacement of fragments of the crust and upper

mantle. The video emphasizes that the two main reasons for the prevalence of earthquakes in

the country are because of the Philippines’ geographical configuration and the presence of the

active faults which are also known as the Philippine Fault Zone. It is noted that there are 23

active volcanoes according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology

(PHIVOLCS) which is part of the geographical configuration that was mentioned before. Dr.

Dimalanta also enumerates some of the epicenters present in the Philippines and the

corresponding earthquakes that occurred in the past few years ranging from 1968 to 2013. The

video highlights that the Palawan Islands do not have any recorded earthquakes and the reason

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behind this is because it was theorized that the Palawan Microcontinental Block, a collective

term for Palawan and its islands, is actually not originally a part of the Philippines.

The Palawan Microcontinental Block, which we will shorten to North Palawan Block, is

said to be part of Mainland Asia and collided with the Philippine Mobile Belt which formed the

Philippines we know and love today. In order to prove this theory, the Philippine geologists

conducted several geographical mappings and surveys in four specific locations. The first

location they went to was the Romblon Island Group in which they found sedimentary rocks

containing quartz minerals similar to the rocks found in Mainland Asia and the North Palawan

Block which concludes that the Romblon Island Group is part of the North Palawan Block. In the

next destination, the Buruanga Peninsula, they did not only find rocks with quartz minerals but

also protozoa called radiolarians which were used to determine the age of the rocks. All the data

concluded that Buruanga Peninsula is also part of the North Palawan Block. Next is the

Northwest Mindoro wherein some previous studies stated that only the southern part of it is part

of the North Palawan Block while other studies say that the whole Mindoro Island is a part of it.

It is later concluded that the whole Mindoro Island is part of the North Palawan Block due to the

rocks containing quartz minerals as well as the age of the rocks which was determined using

Zircon, a mineral that can be used to determine rock age due to its resistance to heat and

corrosion. Lastly, the geologists’ final location was the Masbate Island which was actually

concluded to be a part of the North Palawan Block already. But, contrary to previous studies, it

is concluded that the Masbate Island is not part of the North Palawan Block because the rocks

do not contain quartz and are way too young compared to the rocks found in the previous

locations. The video ends with a call to appreciate the significance of understanding the

geological evolution of the Philippine Island Arc System, particularly in mitigating the risks

associated with geological hazards.

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 Dr. Carla Dimalanta's video offers a comprehensive overview of the geological

processes that have shaped the Philippine archipelago. By providing enough context about

these processes which occurred throughout history, the video successfully deepens our

understanding of the Philippines’ geological evolution. Putting an emphasis on the significance

of the North Palawan Block on the evolution of the Philippines Island Arc System which is also

backed up by credible research is proof enough that the video is worth the watch. Overall, the

video serves as a valuable contribution to the field of Earth sciences, especially in Philippine

history, offering insights that deepen our appreciation for the country. Not only did we learn

about how the Philippines was formed but we can also use this information in order to

understand and mitigate the geological hazards that may occur in the future.