In the Philippines

NATURAL
RESOURCES
Natural Resources
The Philippines is rich in natural resources. It has fertile, arable lands,
diverse flora and fauna, extensive coastlines, and rich mineral deposits.
About 30% of the land area of the country was determined be
geologically prospective by the Philippine Mines and Geo-Sciences
Bureau. But Only 1.5% of country's land area is covered with mining
permits. Despite the rich natural resources of the Philippines, the
government is restricting its exploitation. A logging ban is imposed on
many areas of the country and only in select areas are "sustainable
logging" allowed. However illegal logging and small-scale illegal mining
continues is many areas. In July 2012, President Benigno Aquino III
ordered a stop to all mining activities in all (78 areas) protected and eco-
tourism sites. A positive step in the right direction to protect the natural
resources of the Philippines.
Bodies of Water
Bodies of Water
The Philippines boast of many different kinds of natural water forms,
such as bays, rivers, lakes falls, gulfs, straits, and swamps. Because it
is made up of islands, the country's coastline, if laid end-to-end,
would measure around 17.5 thousand kilometers. The Philippines is
blessed with excellent natural harbors for ports like Manila Bay. Other
excellent harbors with port potentials are found in Ilocos, Pangasinan,
Visayas, and Mindanao. The three largest rivers in the country are the
Cagayan River in Northern Luzon, the Rio Grande de Mindanao, and
the Agusan River, also in Mindanao. Also noteworthy in terms of size
are the Agno, Pasig, Angat Pampanga, and Bicol rivers in Luzon.
Our Land
Our Land
The Philippines’ primary source of livelihood is its
fertile land. Rich, wide plains suitable for farming are
found in the Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, South
western Bicol, Panay, Negros, Davao, Cotabato, Agusan
and Bukidnon. The country ‘s six major crops are rice,
corn, sugarcane, coconut, abaca and tobacco. Except
for rice and corn, all these products are exported,
along with bananas and pineapples.
.

Our Forests
Our Forests
The Philippines also boasts of wide tracts of lush, green forests. In
fact, almost half of the country’s total land area is forested. Sixty
percent of these forests are found in Mindanao
Mineral Resources
Mineral resources
Except for petroleum and a number of metals, mineral resources
abound in Philippine soil. The country’s mineral deposits can be
classified into metals and non-metals. Our metal deposits are
estimated at 21.5 billion metric tons, while non-metal deposits are
projected at 19.3 billion metric tons. Nickel ranks first in terms of
deposits and size, it is found in Surigao del Norte, Davao, Palawan,
Romblon and Samar. Iron is found in Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija,
Camarines Norte and Cotabato. While copper 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
Fishery Resources
With its territorial waters measuring as much
as 1.67 million square kilometers and located in
the worlds fishing center, the Philippines is
definitely rich in marine resources. Of the 2,400
fish species found in the country. 65 have good
commercial value. Other marine products
include corals, pearls, crabs and seaweeds.
Some of the countries best salt water fishing
area’s 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.
Flora
Flora
The tropical climate in the Philippines makes it an ideal
location for flowers and plants. The islands have more than 2
million species of plants, and several of them are found
nowhere else on the planet. Much of the flora in the
Philippines, while diminished by over harvesting, is used as
an important natural resource as ingredients in commercially
exported products.