Land Formations in the Philippines

Island

An island is a land formation surrounded by water. It may be flat or mountainous.A group of

islands is called an archipelago. The Philippines is an example of an archipelago. It is made up of
three big groups of islands – Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. There are 10 biggest islands in the
Philippines. These are the following: Luzon, Mindanao, Samar, Negros, Palawan, Panay,
Mindoro, Leyte, Cebu, and Bohol. Our country’s physical features and land formations show that
we are rich in natural resources. Constant efforts should be made to protect, preserve, and
develop them.

Plain

A plain is wide stretch of flat land. This is suitable for planting various crops like rice and corn.
Usually, people build their homes and establish settlements with governing bodies in the plain.
The widest plain is in Central Luzon. It is otherwise known as the Rice Granary of the country.
In the Visayas, the plains of Panay and Negros are bountiful. In Mindanao, the wide plains are
found in Cotabato, Davao, and Agusan.

Valley

A valley is flat stretch of land found between two mountains. Its area is also suitable for planting.
The biggest valley in the country is the Cagayan Valley. Other notable valleys around the
country are Trinidad Valley, Cotabato Valley, Agusan Valley, Aklan Valley, Antique Valley,
and Zamboanga Valley.

Plateau

A plateau is a flat stretch of land on top of a mountain. This suitable for tending animals as the
temperature here is cool. It is also ideal for plants that do not need much water. The bid plateaus
around the country are found in the Mountain Province, Benguet, Ifugao, and Kalinga-Apayao in
Luzon. On the other hand, the plateaus of Bukidnon and Lanao del Norte and in Mindanao.

Mountain Ranges

The Philippines has many mountain ranges. These serve as natural barriers against the many
typhoons that pass through the country. Moreover, the presence of mountain ranges enables
some ethnic groups to preserve their culture. One example of this is the Ifugaos of Northern
Luzon. The Cordilleras and the Caraballo that surround them hold back outside influences and
interference. The Sierra Madre, which spans from Cagayan to Quezon, is found in the north-
eastern part of Luzon. It runs parallel to the Cordillera in the eastern part of Ilocos. Near the
bottom of the Cordillera is the mountain of Zambales can be seen in the western part of Luzon.
Mountain

A mountain is a land formation that reaches 1000 meters or more in height. There are many big
and small mountains found in the Philippines. Mt. Apo in Davao is the country’s highest
mountain. It is estimated to be 2,954 meters high. The second highest mountain is Mt. Pulag
between Nueva Viscaya and Ifugao. The third is Mt. Halcon in Mindoro. More mountains stand
in Negros and Panay. A whole range of them lies between Cotabato and Davao. (Agoncillo
1981). Apart from logs, the mountains are also rich source of minerals. They also serve as
natural barriers against strong typhoons. On the mountains, crops such as rice and other
agriculture produce can be planted. An example of this are the Ifugaos’ rice terraces (payew)
carved on the Banaue. These are just some of the benefits of having mountains around us.
Unfortunately, many of our mountains are denuded because of heavy logging and the slash-burn
system (kaingin). But through the many programs set up by both the government and non-
government organizations (NGOs), further destruction of our mountain forests will be prevented.

Volcano

A volcano is a vent on the outer crust of the earth. In time, it may spew lava and fire from under
the earth. One of the most impressive volcanoes in the country is the Mayon Volcano in Albay. It
lands at 2,429 meters high. On the other hand, Taal Volcano in Batangas is the smallest volcano
in the country. Other active colcanoes are Hibok-hibok in Camiguin, Didicas on Babuyan Island,
BUlusan in SOrsogon, and Kanlaon in Negros. (Agoncillo 1981).Although a volcano may pose a
threat to its immediate environment once erupts, its presence also benefits everything around it.
It is a rich source of minerals like sulphur and limestone. Aside from this, there is a number of
hot springs around it that people enjoy for recreation and therapeutic purposes. It is also a vital
source of geothermal energy.

Hill

A hill is a land formation that is smaller than a mountain. Chocolate Hills in Bohol is the most
popular group of hills in the country. Tagbilaran City also boasts of a similar group of hills called
Elly Hills. A number of hills may also be found in Quezon, Antipolo, Bulacan, and Batangas.

WATER FORMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

OCEAN
An ocean, or karagatan, is a body of water that makes up much of the earth’s hydrosphere. The
earth has one global ocean, and is divided into different geographic regions: the Pacific, Atlantic,
Indian, and Arctic Oceans. The Philippines is bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the east. In
general, the sea or dagat is a portion of the ocean that is partly surrounded by land or, in some
cases, totally landlocked. The sea controls much of the earth’s climate and plays a significant
role in the water cycle, carbon cycle, and nitrogen cycle.

The Philippines is bounded in the west by the South China Sea, and in the south by the Sulu and
Celebes Sea. Other seas in the Philippine territory include the Bohol Sea, Camotes Sea, Samar
Sea, Sibuyan Sea, Sulu Sea, and Visayan Sea.

Philippine Sea. A marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean east of the country, the Philippine
Sea has the Philippines and Taiwan to the west, Japan to the north, the Marianas to the east, and
Palau to the south.

Celebes Sea. A portion of an ancient ocean basin created 42 million years ago, the Celebes Sea
is home to a number of fish and aquatic creatures and an important sea route for regional trade.
This body of water is surrounded by the Sulu archipelago, Sulu Sea, and the island of Mindanao
in the north, Sangihe Islands chain in the east, Sulawesi’s Minahasa Peninsula in the south, and
the northern Kalimantan in the west.

South China Sea. A marginal sea of the West Pacific Ocean, the South China Sea has different
archipelago clusters of mostly small deserted islands, islets, reefs/atolls, and seamounts, that are
subject to competing claims of sovereignty by nearby nations. This body of water is enclosed by
the shores of South China in the north, Indochinese Peninsula in the west, the islands of Taiwan
and northwestern Philippines in the east, and the Borneo, eastern Sumatra, and the Bangka
Belitung Islands in the south.

RIVER

A river or ilog is a natural waterway, usually freshwater, formed by water from either
precipitation or glacial meltwater, and runs from higher to lower grounds.

It starts from a source (or sometimes different sources), follows a path known as a course, and
stops at a mouth or mouths. Its water is typically enclosed in a channel, composed of a stream
bed between banks.

Notable rivers in the Philippines include Agusan River, Marikina River, Pasig River, Cagayan
River, Mindanao River, and Agno River.

Cagayan River. Located in the Cagayan Valley, the Rio Grande de Cagayan, is the country’s
longest and largest river, approximately 505 kilometers in length. It traverses through the
provinces of Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Isabela, and Cagayan.
Pasig River. Connecting Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay, the Pasig River stretches for 25.2
kilometers, dividing the city of Manila and its surrounding urban area into northern and southern
regions. This river used to be a significant transport route and source of water in Manila during
the Spanish era.

Marikina River. The largest tributary of Pasig River with headwaters in the Sierra Madre in the
province of Rizal, the Marikina River is located in the eastern portion of Metro Manila.

Agusan River. Located in the northeast of Mindanao, the Agusan River is the third largest river
in the Philippines, with a length of approximately 349 kilometers.

Agno River. Also known as the Pangasinan River, this traverses the provinces of Benguet and
Pangasinan. Agno River used to be among the largest river systems in the Philippines, with a
drainage area of 5,952 square kilometers.

GULF

A gulf or golpo is an inlet of a lake or ocean that stretches so that it is bounded by land on three
sides, similar to but with a narrower opening than a bay.

Famous gulfs in the country are the Leyte Gulf and Lingayen Gulf.

Lingayen Gulf. A large gulf in the northwest of Luzon, the Lingayen gulf extends 56 kilometers
in length. It is bounded by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and is situated between the
Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central. The Agno River drains into this gulf.

Leyte Gulf. Located in the eastern Visayas, the Leyte Gulf is a portion of the Philippine Sea of
the Pacific Ocean, and is surrounded by two islands: Samar in the north and Leyte in the west. Its
coast houses several municipalities, such as Balangiga, Giporlos, Guiuan, Lawaan, Mercedes,
Quinapondan, and Salcedo.

LAKE

A lake or lawa is a body of water, typically freshwater, surrounded by land.

Most lakes in the Philippines are correlated to volcanic and tectonic activities, and a number of
smaller lakes fill the crates of dormant or extinct volcanoes.

Taal Lake. Originally known as Bombón Lake, Taal Lake is a freshwater volcanic crater lake in
Batangas, which occupies the Taal Volcano. It is the third largest lake in the Philippines and its
basin was first declared a national park on July 22, 1967.
Lake Lanao. A large ancient lake in Lanao del Sur, this body of water is the second largest lake
in the country and the largest in Mindanao. It was formed by tectonic-volcanic damming of a
basin between two mountain ranges and the disintegration of a large volcano.

Laguna de Bay. The largest freshwater lake in the country, Laguna Lake is found east of the
National Capital Region, between the provinces of Laguna to the south and Rizal to the north.

WATERFALL

A talon or waterfall is a river or other body of water’s steep vertical drop over a rocky ledge into
a plunge pool below.

Maria Cristina Falls. Found in Iligan City, the majestic Maria Cristina Falls towers over 300
feet above the forest canopy and Agus River. It is also referred to as Twin Falls because a rock
near the base splits the falling water into two different streams.

Pagsanjan Falls. Located in Laguna, Pagsanjan Falls or the Cavinti Falls is a three-tiered
waterfall that can be reached by a river trip on dugout canoe, locally known as shooting the
rapids.

Tinago Falls. A waterfall on the Agus River, Tinago Falls is between the town of Linamon and
Iligan City in Lanao del Norte. Its name is derived from a Filipino word meaning “hidden”,
given that it is hidden in a deep ravine.

Tinuy-an Falls. A multi-drop waterfall in Bislig, Surigao del Sur, Tinuy-an Falls is dubbed as
the little Niagara Falls of the Philippines. It displays a white water curtain that drops in three
levels, and is believed to be the widest waterfall in the country.

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Philippine
Waterforms across 24 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Philippine Waterforms worksheets
that are perfect for teaching students about the Philippine Waterforms. From the famous Maria
Cristina Falls to the breathtaking sunset in Manila Bay, the Philippines is truly blessed with the
richness of its bodies of water. A waterform, or anyong tubig, most often refers to oceans, seas,
and lakes, and even includes ponds, streams, springs, and waterfalls.

The Bodies of land and water is very important for us as a Filipino because they are the reason
why our country is beautiful and safe. The body of the land that protects the people in any
disasters like typhoons and flood, also the water that helps the land and the environment too, the
plants, the farms in every province that needs supply of water, and of course the animals that
lives in water.