THE PHILIPPINE

ENVIRONMENT
 Landmasses surrounding the Philippines- At the northern part of the
Philippines you can see Taiwan, China, and Korea. You can say that the
Asian continent surrounds the Philippines at the north. Conversely, the
Philippines is found at the south of the Asian continent.
 - At the east of the Philippines is mostly water but when you look closely
you can see Guam and other small islands/territories. The Philippines is
located at west of Guam.- The Indonesian archipelago (collection of
islands) surrounds the Philippines at the south. So, you can also say the
Philippines is found at the north of the Indonesian archipelago.
 - Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia surround the Philippines at
the west. So in giving location to our country, we can say that the
Philippines is located at the east of Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand and
Cambodia.
 Bodies of Water surrounding the Philippines- Similar with Indonesia, the
Philippines is also an archipelago (group of islands); hence, we are
surrounded by different bodies of water.
 - At the north, Luzon Strait surrounds the Philippines. You can state that
Philippines is located at the south of Luzon Strait.
 - Philippine Sea and Pacific Ocean are the major bodies of water found at the
east of the Philippines. Hence, in locating the Philippines, people will say
Philippines is found at the west of Philippine Sea and the Pacific Ocean.- At
south, Celebes Sea surrounds the Philippines. You can say Philippines is
found at north of Celebes Sea.
 - Indian Ocean and South China Sea surround the Philippines at its west. In
other words, Philippines is located at east of Indian Ocean and South China
Sea.
NATURAL
RESOURCES OF
PHILIPPINES
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. Most
popular among tourist is the famous underground river in Palawan. Aside from rivers, the country also
abounds with lakes. Easily the most famous is the heart-shaped Laguna de Bay. Other famous lakes are
Taal in Batangas, Sampaloc in Laguna, Buhi and Bulusan in Bicol, Naujan in Mindoro oriental, and
Lanao and Mainit in Mindanao. Generating power for the Nation’s growth are the magnificent waterfalls
that serve as tourist attractions, as well. The biggest is waterfalls is the Maria Cristina falls, it can be
found in the North Western part of Lanao province in Mindanao, while the most popular is Pagsanjan
falls in Laguna, where tourist came in droves.
 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.
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
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

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

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.

On the other hand, among our biggest fisher water fishing areas are Laguna de Bay, Bombon Lake
in Batangas, Bato Lake in Canmarines Sur, Naujan Lake in Mindoro and Mainit lake in Agusan del
Norte.
Water Resources

The Ambuklao Dam and Hydeoelectric Power Plant in Bokod, Benguet, Philippines.
The Philippines’ main sources of water are rivers, lakes, river basins, and groundwater reservoirs. The
longest and largest river, Cagayan River, discharges approximately 53, 943 million cubic meters of water
annually. Its groundwater reserves are 47, 895 million cubic meters replenished by rainfall and seepage
from rivers and lakes. The lakes are utilized mainly for fish cultivation. The four major groundwater
reservoirs are in Cagayan, Central Luzon, Agusan, and Cotabato. There are 438 major dams and 423
smaller dams. Dams and reservoirs are mainly used for: water storage, water supply, irrigation, regulation
of flood, and hydropower.[1]

The Manila metropolitan area water is mostly supplied by the Angat Dam, Ipo Dam, and La Mesa
Dam (also known as Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system). Some of the well known and larger dams in rural
areas are: Ambuklao Dam, developed for flood control, irrigation, and hydroelectric power source of
Baguio and some places in Luzon; and Magat Dam, a major source of irrigation water and hydroelectric
power in Isabela.
 The Philippines is considered a mega-diversity country rivaled only by a few
countries in the world when it comes to variety of ecosystems, species and genetic
resources. Many of the island comprising the archipelago are believed to have a very
high degree of land and animal endemism. The country hosts more than 52,177
described species of which more than half is found nowhere else in the world
(Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priorities: A second iteratioin of the National
Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, 2002). On a per unit area basis, the Philippines
probably harbors more diversity of life than any other country on the planet.

 The country is also considered a biodiversity hotspot. This is because the

Philippines continues to experience an alarming rate of destruction of these important
resources brought about by overexploitation, deforestation, land degradation, climate
change, and pollution (including biological pollution), among others.
Hydroelectric Power
Moving water is a powerful source of energy. The power harnessed from moving bodies of water is called
hydroelectric power. The Philippines make use of two methods in order to harness power; dam storage or
impoundment, and run-of-river. While impoundment makes use of man-made dams in order to store water, run-of-river
relies on flowing bodies of water like waterfalls. Both methods turn a turbine in order to generate power.
Hydroelectric power plants in the Philippines are located in Pangasinan, Benguet, Laguna, Isabela, Bulacan, Nueva
Ecija, Ilocos Sur, Bohol, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, and Misamis Oriental.

Hydroelectric Power
Moving water is a powerful source of energy.  The power harnessed from moving bodies of water is called
hydroelectric power.  The Philippines make use of two methods in order to harness power; dam storage or
impoundment, and run-of-river.  While impoundment makes use of man-made dams in order to store water, run-of-river
relies on flowing bodies of water like waterfalls.  Both methods turn a turbine in order to generate power.
 Hydroelectric power plants in the Philippines are located in Pangasinan, Benguet, Laguna, Isabela, Bulacan, Nueva
Ecija, Ilocos Sur, Bohol, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Bukidnon, Davao del Sur, and Misamis Oriental.
  
Solar Power
Solar energy is used as a source of energy in the Philippines through industrial sized
photovoltaic plants in the country. The Philippines has only recently incorporated large scale solar
farms in the country, despite the fact that the country is geographically located in a region that
receives a high amount of sunlight each year. Major solar farms in the Philippines can be found in
Cavite, Pampanga, Ilocos Norte, and Cagayan de Oro.

Wind Energy
Like water, moving air also generates energy through wind turbines that supply kinetic energy
through mechanical power. The turbines then power a generator to produce energy. Wind power
plants in the Philippines are located in Ilocos Norte, Rizal, Guimaras, and Aklan.
Biomass Energy
Biomass energy is similar to fossil fuel in that it is combusted in order to boil water to produce steam that
will drive a generator. Being an agricultural country, the Philippines is rich in natural resources like
bagasse, rice husks, and coconut husks are used instead of fossil fuel. Biomass power plants in the
Philippines are located in Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Rizal, Laguna, Isabela, and Metro Manila.

The Philippines has plenty of sources for generating energy through the renewable energy plants spread out
in the country. At present, there have been an increased number of consumers incorporating the use of solar
panels in the Philippines. This rise in awareness has sparked the Filipino community to recognize the many
benefits of having clean energies powering our homes and businesses.