Day 6

C. ABSTRACTION
landforms that are found in their communis:.
1. Ask the class to identify the
Ask the class:

a. What are the landforms in your community?

these landforms?
b. How do the people use
landforms?
C. What benefits do they get from these
given to our landforms?
d. What protection should be
respective
2. preparing an inventory of landforms in their
Guidetheclass in
regions. Example:

REGION 1: ILOCOS REGION

Landforms in the Ilocos Region

Plateaus Hills Mountains

A. Major Landforms Plains

B. Minor Landforms Valleys Basins Buttes Canyons

drawnfrom
3. After completing the chart ask the students to give statements
the data in the chart.
 Day 7

Farm Scence by Fernando Amorsolo

4. Guessing Game: Have the students match the

creation (song, book,
painting) with the name/picture (optional) of person on the board.
(Answer: Santiago -"Philippines, My Philippines," Amorsolo - painting.
Rizal Noli Me Tangere)
a.
Givea background of Dr. Francisco Santiago (first Filipino Dean of
the now U.P College of Music, nationalistic composer of kundiman
or Philippine Art Song).
b. Have the students draw images on their notebooks as the teacher
sings Philippine, My Philippines'" in Enlish then in Filipino.
 C.
Discuss the images drawn by the students and relate theseetto the textual
meanings in the song: nationalism(Ang bayan koy tanging ikau.)
and patriotism (Ang puso ko at buhay may sa iyo ibibigay..)
d. Ask the students how they can show nationalism and patriotism in
everyday situations.
e. Relate how these feelings of nationalism can be shown through singing.
(crescendo-decrescendo dynamics for intense feeling and proper
phrasing and vocal projection)
f. Sing the song in English then in Filipino reflecting proper expression.
5. Summarize the lesson by asking the students what they have learned for
the day.
State: "Every Filipino who loves his country shows it in different ways. Some
show their patriotism by depicting our everyday life in pictures like Fernando
Amorsolo. Some, capture the sounds ofour lives in songs for instance, Dr:
Franscisco Santiago, wbile others, like Dr. Jose Rizal, write great pieces of
literature that move our spirits. Whether in big or small measures, we can
show our love for our country in our own unique ways.
6. Singing Test in groups of five
Singing Rubric (20 points)
20-19 = correct lyrics, timing and melody (whole song), proper dynamics
and vocal projection, 1-2 mistakes only in lyrics, timing Or
melody
18-16 = correct lyrics, timing and melody (314 of the song), proper
dynamics and vocal projection, 3-5 mistakes only in lyrics or
melody
15-13 = correct lyrics, timing and melody (1/2 of the song), proper
dynamics and vocal projection, 6-9 mistakes (wrong text /
unsteady beat / shaky intonation of melody) but maximum
effort was seen in singing properly
12-10 = correct lyrics, timing and melody (1/4 of the song), proper
dynamics and vocal projection, 10 or more mistakes (wrong
nsteady beat / shaky intonation of melody) but efort
was seen in singing properly
8-5 mostly wrong lyrics, timing and melody but effort was seen
5-1 = wrong lyrics, timing and melody (whole song) but effort was seen
= wrong lyrics, timing and melody and no effort was expected
 PF.Jernegan
IldefonsoSantos
Philippines, My Philippines
Dm Francisco Santiago
C
SOPRANO
ALTO

I love my own, my na - tive land.

is - lands of Phil - ip -
Phil - ip - pines, my Phil - ip - pines, To
Ye the East - ern sea,
Yet still be - neath thy ar - dent sky, pines, my Phil - ip -
Thy past has lit - tle known of pcace,
Phil ip - pines, my Phil - ip - pines, Thy
pines, More
Phil - ip - pines, my Phil - ip-
pines, From
TENOR
BASS

Lu - pang sin - táng ki ná - gis - nán, Pi

ba - yan ko'y ta Ii - pi nas kong ma - hál Dib
Ang nging i - kaw, Pi - li - pi - nas kong ma - hal
Am Ang

I give my heart and hand, Phil

thee
shall ev - er
pines, my Phil - ip- pines, The
peo - ple we be, Phil ip - pines, my Phil - ip - pines, Our
nu - m'rous sons shall live and die, Phil Phil - ip -
with
Ip - pines, my pines, In
want and war out re - lease, Phil ip - pines, my Phil - ip - pines, Then

at bi sig ko'y la - án, Pi - li - pi - nas kong ma - hál. Ang

pu - SO ko at bu - hay man, i - yo'y i - bi - bi - gay Tung
F

H tfiy
trees that crown thy moun - tains grand, The seas that beat up - on thy strand, A -
fa thers lived and died thee, And soon shall come the day when we. Lie
them shall breathe the pur - pose high, The glo - rious day to bring more nigh, When
And hap pi ness for thee in - crease, The
speed the day when e vils cease,

tos páng i - káy Ay

da gat at da - la tan mo'y Nag - ling - ku - ran Ang
ku lin na la kang pag -
ko'y ga - gam pa - nan
G7
14

pines.
wake Com - mand, Phil - ip - pines, my Phil - ip
my heart to thy Phil - ip - pines, my Phil - ip pines.
down with them God's de cree, pines.
all
at
sigh, Phil - ip - pines, my Phil - ip
may sing with out a
Phil ip - pines, my Phil - ip pines.
day of and of peace,
plen - ty

hál.
pi - nas kong ma
hi rang.
la
gi kong pag ling
ban - ta
ku - rán,
- yan,
:: i nas kong
ya mo'y ba
 Day &

D. APPLICATION

1. Ask the class to give ways and means on how we could -

a give care and protection to our landforms.
b. show appreciation for the landforms in our respective communities.
C. value the Philippine landforms.

2. Guide the class in formulating generalizations about the unit of study.

a. The Phiippines isa country in Southeast Asia.
b. The Philippines has astrategic location with reference to Southeastern
Asia andAustralia.
mainland.
C. The Philippines is physically separated from the Asiatic
d. The combined land and water areas of the Philippines within the
water
treaty limits is about 1,800,000 square kilometers of which the
areas compriseabout five times the land areas.
e. The underlying principle of the Archipelago Doctrine is the unity of
land, water, and people into a single unit.
f. The total land area of the Philippines is 300,000 square kilometers
or 30,000,000 hectares.
its economic,
The location, size, and shape of a country influence
social, and political development.
have come about through
h. Thepresent landforms of the Philippines gradation.
and
the complex processes ofdiastrophism, vulcanism, the
once a part of
i. The Asiatictheory posits that the Philippines was
continental shelfofAsia.
was first marked at the
j. Theoutline of the Philippine Archipelago
Revolution.
close of the PaleozoicEra during the Permian
triangular with Batanes Island
k. The outline of the Philippines isroughly Saranggani Islands
Tawi-Tawi and
in the north as the apex and with
as the base.
Philippincs are plains, platcaus, hills,
1. The major landforms in the
and mountains.
 m. The minor landforms in the country are valleys, buttes, basins, and
canyons.
n. The nature of landforms is the deciding factor if thearea has to be
developed as agricultural, residential, or commercial.
o. Landforms are utilized for settlements, agriculture, and industrial
purposes in meeting the needs of the country and its people.

EVALUATION

I Match the words in Column A with the group of words in Column B.

Wite on the blank the letter that represents the correct answer.
A B

1. Y'ami a. An important event in geologic history

f 2. Saluag 200 million years ago
a 3. Permian b. An elevation that does not exceed 600meters
Revolution C. The northernmost island in the Philippines
e e 4. Mountains d. Avalley bctween high steep hills

b 5. Hills e. The highlands of the continent

86. Valley f. The southernmost island in the Philippines
ranges of hills
d 7. Canyon g. A large tract of land between
and mountains
h 8. Archipelago
islands
9. Sierra Madre h. A group or chain of
Eastern Luzon
j_ 10. Plain i. A mountain range in
j. Awide level land
 II. Identify the following. Write the answer on the line before the numhe.
(Chocolate Hills) 1. Elevations not exceeding 600 meters in
Carmen,
Bohol

(Mt. Arayat) 2. Ahigh clevation towering in Central Plain of Luzon

(Lanao-Bukidnon
Platcau) 3. A high table land in Mindanao
(Baguio City) 4. A high table land in CAR
(Treaty of Paris) 5. The treaty that ceded the Philippines to the US by
paying Spain the sum of $20,000,000
(Fragmented)
(elongated) 6. The shape of the Philippine Archipelago
(17,460km) 7. The length of the Philippine coastline
(Central Plain
of Luzon) 8. Thelargest level land in the Philippines
-(Mt. Pinatubo) 9. The volcano that erupted in 1991 in Zambales

(Philippines) 10. The center of the blending of East and West

III. Write an editorial about Landforms in the Philippine Territory. Choose one
from the following themes.

Description of the Philippine Territory

Origin of the Archipelago: Its GeologicHistory
Major and Minor Landforms
Landforms and Economic Development
 sCORING RUBRIC FOR PERFORMANCE-BASED TASK

Activity: Group Assessment (After a unit of study)

Evidence: Knowing Group's Performance
Points: 40

Group: Date:

Criteria Indicators Points

In this unit the members of our group were
able to:
1. select thetopic that we want to study.
Group's 2. plan the activities for the report well.
Performance
3. work cooperatively on the tasks assigned.
4. show competence in performing the group
tasks.

5. design an appropriate format in reporting.

6. complete the group activities on time.
7. answer questions of classmates satisfactorily.
8. enjoy participating in allgroup activities.
Points Earned:

Rating Scale: 5 = Always

3 = Usually
1 = Rarely
0 = Never
 SCORING RUBRICFOR PERFORMANCE-BASED TASK

Activity: Observation (Respect for veporters)

Evidence: Conduct proper decorum while listening to reports
Points: 30

Name: Date:

Criteria Indicators Points

1. Observes the standards in listening to group

reports.
2. Listens attentively to the reporter.
Respect for 3. Does not talk with classmates when
Others someone is reporting.
4. Takes down notes about thereport.
5. Asks questions after the report.
6. Shares additional information about
the report.
Points Earned:

Rating Scale: 5 = Always

3 = Usually
1 = Rarely
0 = Never
 sCORING RUBRIC FOR PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT
(Total Points =50)
Criteria Indicator Points Earned
A. Presentation 1. Lessons addressing the theme
2. Lessons reflective of the unit of study
3. Concepts logically presented
B. Content 1. Content drawn from the learning
competencies
2. Competencies supported by examples
3. Content matches with objectives
C. Activities 1, Suitable to age of learners
2. Employs both self-directed and group
activities
3. Makes lessons meaningful
4. Gives provisions for evaluation

Total :

2 = Unsatisfactory
Rating Scale: 5 = Excellent
1 = Very Unsatistactory
4 = Very Satisfactory
3 = Satisfactory
 Reading A: Landforms in the Philippines*

Location
Geographically, the Philippines is a part of Southeast Asia. It is situated between
the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer. Specifically, it lies between 4°23 and 21°25
north latitude and between 116°00 and 127°00' cast longitude. The country is bounded
on thenorth by the Bashi Channel: on the east by the Pacific Ocean; on the south by
the Celebes Sea; and on thewest by the China Sea.
Thevicinal location of the Philippines places the country some 965 kilometers
from the southeast coast of the mainland of Asia. The neighboring countries in the
north are Taiwan, China, and Japan. In the west, the nearest states are North and South
Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia. In the south, the Philippines is
only a few miles from Borneo and Indonesia.
Yami of the Batanes province is the northernmnost island and is only some 97
kilometers from Taiwan. Saluag of the Sibutu group is the southernmost island
while Omapoyisland of the same Sibutugroup is thenearest to Borneo which is only
some 32 kilometers from the northeastern coast of North Borneo (Sabah).

Significance of Location
Aglance at the Philippine map shows how the Philippines is strategically located
with reference to Southeastern Asiaand the regions of Indonesia and Australia. Our
archipelago guards the approaches to these regions from the north and from the cast.
world and an
This makes the country politically important among the nations of the
ideal distribution center of goods within the region. It is also the meeting ground ot
diverse cultures.
insular
Itmust bepointed out, however, that the Philippines has a maritime or
location has an
location. In thisrespect, it is similar to that of Japan or Britain. Insular
insular state does not have a
advantageoover continental location in the sense that the
common land boundary with its neighbor. The common land boundary is a sens1tive
spot where conflict of interest usually originates. It is partly because of thisinsula
location that the Philippines is enjoying a comparatively peaceful relation with her
Resources of the
*Excerpts from "Location, Size, and Shape of the Philippines" in Geography.yand Natural
Philippines, Domingo C. Salita.
neighbors.Its physical separation from the Asiatic mainland gives it a distinct security
advantage.
Commercially, the P'hilippines lies on the major oceanic trade route and air lane
plving betwecn the United States and Asia. The Pacific trade route, which originates
trom western United States, passes through Hawaii and upon reaching Honolulu, the
routesplitsintotchree branches-onecbranch
branch goes to Japan; the second to the Philippines;
third to Australia and New Zealand. In addition. Manila is also an important
andithethird
portofcallfor ships to other southeastern countries.
Culturally, the Philippines isthe center of the blending of east and west. By virtue
four location, we have contacts with the countries of Asia from which many of our
customs, industries, writings, and words in Philippine languages were derived. Our
location has placed us on the routes of the European colonizers which eventually led to
the coming of the Spaniards, Amnericans, and other European powers from whom we
derived our western culture. The amalgamation of these two cultures has given certain
idenity to the Filipino nation.
The geographical location of the Philippines in the tropics is greatly responsible
for the climatic conditions prevailing in the country. The uniformly high temperature
and abundant amount of rainfall that prevails in the archipelago have a direct bearing
on our land, forest, and water resources.

Size

Size is an important factor in evaluating the economic and political potencialities

ofa state. Small countries are always handicapped by their limied land resources. The
need for adequate space is not only necessary to support alarge population but also to
provide room for expansion and development.
The present boundaries and limits of thePhilippines are defined by (1) the Treaty
of Paris between the United States and Spain on December 10, 1898; (2) the treaty
berween the United States and Spain on November 7, 1900; and (3) the treaty between
the United States and Great Britain on January 2, 1930. Notwithstanding the
enumeration of the present international treaty limits, the Philippines may claim
territories or islands outside of these limits provided that it has alegal basis to sunport
the claim.
Under Article III of theTreaty of Paris of 1898, Spa1n ceded to the United States
the archipelago known as the Philippine Islands and as aconsideration of the cession
the United States paid Spain the amount of twenty million dollars ($20,000,000.00)
ASourcebook in Curriculum Integration and Thematic
 The Treaty of Paris, due to cartographic illiterac, did not include a
certain port
of the Sulu Archipelago. Subsequently, another treaty was executed on November
ion
1900 through which the United States acquired from Spain the group of islands
as Cagayan Sulu, and Sibutu and their dependencies lying off the coast of Borneo knownFor
this acquisition, the United States paid another one hundred thousand dollars
($100,000.00).
Athird addition to theePhilippine Archipelago embraces agroup of islands
asthe Turtle Islands andthe Mangsee. Islands which becamethe subjecttofatreaty known
between
the United States and Great Britain executed on January 2, 1930. This treaty also defined
the boundary between the Philippines and North Borneo. The actual administration f
these islands was, however, transferred to the Philippines only in 1947 after the
independence of ourcountry was restored by the United States. The Philippine Republic
took the initiative in taking over the administration of the said group of islands from
the United Kingdom.
The combincd land and water areas of the Philippines within the treaty limits is
about 1,800,000 square kilometers of which the water arcas comprise about five times
the land areas. Because of its extensive territorial waters, the Philippines does not adhere
to the three, six, or even twelve mile (about 5, 10or 20 km) limit. What is desired from
the other countries is that they respect the historic waters of the Philippines.
The Archipelago Doctrine is now adopted in the new Constitution of the
Philippines as a basis in determining the inland and territorialwaters of the country,
This doctrine states that the baseline from which the inland and territorial sea of an
archipelagois to be determined consists of the straight lines joining appropriate points
of the outermost islands or the outermost edge of the archipelago. Connected baselines
which are drawn to enclose the entire archipelago define the inland waters while the
waters from the baselines up to the international treaty limits represent the territorial
sea of the country.
According to Justice Secretary Vicente Abad Santos and Ambassador Arturo
Tolentino, the underlying principle of the Archipelago Doctrine is the unity of the land,
water, and people into asingle unit so that the archipelago may not be splintered into as
many islands as composing it, with the consequent fragmentation of the nation and the
State itself. The Archipelago Doctrine willpreserve the unity and identity as aasingle
entity of the land, water, and seabed enclosed within the baselines.
 118 120 122 124 126

INTERNATIO NAL TREATY LIMITS

|20 20
TERRI TORIAL SEA

18 18

SEA
TERITORIAL
16 16
A
N

IH
BASE LINE
|4

12 12

10
INTERNAL WATERS

S uL u
8 8
SEA

BASE LINE
6 6

|Archipelago
Doctrine
CELE BE S SEA
INTERNATIONAL TREATY LIMITS

116° 122 124° 126°

118° 120
 70 asm

total land arca of the Philippines, cxcluding Sabah, is 300,000 n

The or 30,000,000 hectarcs. It is about thesize of Italy, slightly larger than the
kilometers
size of the United Kingdom, but slightlysmaller than Japan. It is composed of 7,107
islands and islets of which only 2,773 arc named. Luzon and Mindanao are the wo
of the total land arca of the
biggest islands, their combincd arca comprising about 70%o
Philippines.

Shape
has abearing on ire
The shape of a countryis another geographic element that
represenr
cconomic, social, and politicaldevelopment. Compactness and clongationratio ofit.
the state is, the smaller is the
the two extremes in shape. The more compact
compact state since ite
boundary inrelation to its area. Franceis a good example of a
typicalcxample of an
shape approaches that of a circle. Onthe other hand, Chile is a
its width.
clongated state since its length is many times longer than
classifications are used, namelv
For countries that have more than one unit, three
(2) a fragmented
(1) a broken shape, where two or more segments are disconnected;
adefinite area
shape,where there are numerous islands but the wholeterritory occupies
found in different
of the globe; and (3) a scattered shape, where the various parts are
parts of the world.
Malaysia is agood example of a broken shape. It is made up of three separate parts
-Malaya, North Borneo, (Sabah) and Sarawak. Brunei, which lies between Sarawak and
Sabah, is not apart of Malaysia. The Philippines is an example of afragmented shape
since it has so many islands all occupying a definite territory. The former British Empire
which had territories in all parts of the world was an example of a scattered shape.
The Philippines is an elongated and fragmented state, as its parts consisting of
7,107 islands and islets are disconnected. It appears on the map of SoutheastAsia like
the broken beads of a rosary. Its elongated shape is discernible from its longitudinal
extent of1,840 kilometers from north to south while its broadest extent from east to
west is only about 1,000 kilometers.The length of its coastline is 17,460kilometers
which is twice as long as that of continental United States.

Significance of Shape
From the economic, social, and political standpoint, the elongated and fragmentary
character of the Philippines is adistinct disadvantage. The construction ofa continuous
network of roads and railroads throughout the length and breadth of the country 51
176) Building Bridges Across Disciplines in Basic Education
 l impossibility. The economic development of the Archipelago cannot be
acceleratedinthe absence of good mcans of transportation and communication. The
Loms of administration and supervision as well as the implementation of
Pmental policies cannot be casily carried out because of the physical division of
the country. This is one factor that will favor the decentralization of governmental
administration.

Socially and politically, the country cannot casily achieve national unity and
calidarity. Themany revolts that took place during more than three centuries of Spanish
crle were regional rather than national in character. The fragmentary nature of thc country
is mainly responsible also tor the parochial or regional instead of national thinking of
many Filipinos. The existence of many tribal and ethnic groups is partly due to the
archinelagic character of the nation. This is also one of the reasons why there are many
languages and dialects in the country and as a further consequence, the dissemination
and development of our national language is moving at a very slow pace.
In matters of security, the numerous islands and the long coastline make it difficult
todefend thecountry against foreign invasion. Likewise, the apprehension of smugglers
and the prevention of the illegal entry of aliens have become a major problem of the
country due to the presence of many landing beaches in many parts of the archipelago.
 Reading B: Origin of Philippine Landforms*

The present landforms of the Philippines have come about through the
processes of diastrophisn, vulcanism, and gradation. These landforms:are very
much
complex
interrelated with the origin of the Archipelago itself. Diastrophism is a process which
involves a movement of the crust of the earth such that one portion is
carthquake is an effect of raised with
respect to another. The occurrence ofa tectonic
The formation of elongated mountains such as the Sierra Madre and Ithe diast
Corr
caused by diastrophism while the conical peaks are the result of vulcanism, M:
odphi
ilers
am .
is
Mayon Volcano, and Canlaon Volcano are examples of volcanic mountains.
Vulcanism embraces all the phenomena connected with the movement of molten
rocks from beneath the carth toward its surface. It is due to vulcanism that
takes place. Volcaniceruption is a manifestation of vulcanism.
mineralization
The erosion ofthe highlands and the consequent deposition of the sediments ar th.
oceanic basin comprise the process of gradation. It is gradation that generally cause th.
formation of minorlandforms, such as valleys, deltas, and bills, and other features found
in plains, platcaus, and mountains. The deltas formed by the Pasig Rivercand Pampanga
River as they enter Manila Bay are the results of gradational process.
Astudy of the nature of the rocks beneath the ocean and the volcanic character of
the archipelago made Dr. Bailey Willis conclude that the Philippines was formed thronch
the marginal and peripheral eruptions of the Pacific basin. The rocks comprising the
core of our mountain systems are basic in character which are similar in nature to the
rocks found beneath the sea. The eruptions of submarine volcanoes during the remote
geologic past and the piling up of their extrusives caused the emergence of the islands
above the sea, giving rise to the Philippine Archipelago. This is called the Pacifc theory
in the origin of the Philippines.
Amore rational theory holds the view that the Philippines was once a part of the
continental shelf of Asia. Dr.Leopoldo Faustino (1928), in his work on the historical
geology of the country stated that
The present land areas of the Philippines are merely the higher portions
ofa parthy submerged mountain mass, in part the crest of anticlinal fold, in

"Excerpts from "Origin of Philippine Landforms in Geography and NaturalResources ofthe Phlipne
Domingo C. Salita.
 t the upthrust blocked caused by faulting, and part from the fows of the
olcanoes.
The outline of the Archipelago was first marked at the close of the
Palegzoic Era during the Permian Revolution when a movement of the Asiatic
land mass to the south caused the China sea depression and crumpled the
doe ofthe continental platform. In other words, the Philippine Islands formed
the harrier that separated the waters of the lacific Ocean from the waters of
theChina Sea.

The Permian Revolution referred to above is an important event in geologic history

sshich tok place some 200 million years ago. It was characterized by a worldwide
mountain-building movement. It was during this period that che outline of the
Philippines was believed to have been brought for the first time above sea level. The
clevation of the country from theoceanic floor was followed by igneous
diorite, gabbro, and granodiorite which gave rise to the core of the mountain systems.
This marked a period of mineralization in the country that gave rise to the deposits of
intrusions of
gold, silver, and copper ores which the diorite is the parent rock. The
gabbro were accompanied by the deposition of chromite minerals which are extensively
found in Zambales.
the
The outline of the Philippines is roughly triangular with Batanes Island in
as the apex and with Tawi-Tawi and Saranggani Islands as the base. It is bounded
north
appcaring to be an
on the west by the China Sea and on the cast by the Pacific Ocean,
of Samar and Mindanao is
clevated block between two depressions. The eastern coast
Philippine deep whose maximum depth of 10,798 meters is considered
skirted by the
trench among all theoceans of the world. Marianas Trench, southeast
the second deepest
of.Guam, with a depth of 11,037 meters,is the deepest.
 Reading C: Landforms of the Philippines*
The plains, plateaus, mountains, and hills are the major landforms of
Philippines. The vallcys, basins, buttes, and canyons which arc found in plains, platethe
mountains, or hills are minor landforms.

Major Landforms
1. Plains. These are the lowlands of islands and continents. Some are close to
the sea and are called coastal plains. Agood exampleis the Ilocos Coastal
Plain of northwestern region. The others occur within the interim of the
continent and are called interior plains. The Central Plain of Luzon belongs
to this group. Plains are regions of low altitude and of low relief. Lowy
altitude means that the elevation does not exceed 300 meters. New local
relief shows that the localdifference in altitude within the plain is less than 30
meters. Plains are places of settlements and are well-developed.
The Central Plain ofLuzon which is situated cast of the Zambales mountain
range is the largest level land of thePhilippines. It is made of alluvial sediments
which extend from Lingayen Gulf in the north to Manila Bay in the south. It
covers the provinces of Bataan, Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga,
Aurora, and Bulacan.This extensive level land is interrupted only bythe solitary
peak of Mt. Arayat in Pampanga with an clevation of 1030 meters. Itis drained
mainly by the Agno River, Pampanga River, and Angat River. Because of the
fertile soil, the Central Plain has become the rice granary of the country producing
about one-third of the total rice harvest of the Philippines. All the provinces in
Central Luzon are rice producers. Pampanga ranks second in the production of
sugar for the entire country. These provinces are allthickly populated and are
traversed by a network of provincial and national roads. The violent eruptions
of Mt. Pinatubo in June, July, and August 1991 gave offenormous amounts of
volcanic debris and devastated the rich agricultural lands and settlements of
several towns of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales.
2. Plateaus. These are the table lands of high elevation usually above 600 meters.
The Lanao-Bukidnon plateau of Mindanao is agood example. Baguio City

*Excerpts from "The Major Landforms" in Elements of Geograpby, Domingo C. Salita.

 of Northern Luzon is located on a plateau. Compared with the
che plateaus have a large summit area. Plateaus are good mountains,
grazing lands and if
located inthe tropics, they providea mild climate.
2 Mountains.These are the highlands of the continents. They differ from
nlateaus in the sense that they have a smaller summit areas.
They are
characterized by ahigh altitude usually above 900 meters. The Sierra Madre
of Eastern Luzon and Mt. Apo of
Mindanao are examples of mountains in
the Philippines. Mountains protect the
country against invasion and strong
winds and are good sorces of minerals and forest
products.
A Hills. These are considered small
mountains where the elevation does not
exceed 600 meters. Hills have shorter slopes and are not a_
rugged as the
mountains. The Chocolate Hills of Bohol is the best example of ahilly
region in the Philippines. Hily regions are good pasture lands and are suitable
for highland crops.

Minor Landforms

Minor landforms like valley basin, butte, and canyon are found in the major
landforms in the Philippines.
1. Avalley is a large tract of land between ranges of hills or mountains and
usually traversed by a river or stream. Agood example is the Cagayan Valley
in Region 2.
2. Abasin is a hollow or depression of a basin for holding water.
3. A butte is a steep isolated hill.
4. Acanyon is avalley between high steep hills. It is anarrow passage between
mountains.

Landforms and Economic Development

Plains, under proper climatic conditions, provide the most favorable sites for
eConomic and social progress. Plains are the lowlands of the continents. History tells
us that thecradles of ancient civilization started in the delta of the Nile River and in the
valleys of the Tigris-Euphrates Rivers. These places were very fertile, and the rivers
provided not only natural irigation but also the highways for transportation and
commerce. Because of the comparative advantage which plains offer for setlement and
agricultural development as well as for the construction of transportation and
 communication facilities, the greater bulk of the world's population areconcentrated
in the lowlands.
This situation is also true in the Philippines where the plains are better develonel
and thickly populated. Such situation will remain trueeven after the country has attained
an agro-industrial economy. This is to be expected because manutacturing industries are
generally built on plains where the ease of transportation facilitates the bringing of ray
materials to the factories as wellas the distribution offinished products to the consumers.

The topography of the land likewise affects the climatic condition of the place
The orientation and height of the mountain system affectsthe distribution of rainfal.
local air currents, and temperature of the region. The invigorating temperature of Baguio,
Tagaytay City, and Marawi City are due to their elevation. Landtorm is an important
factor in human settlement and development.
From the standpoint of agricultural development, the topography of the land is
the most important factor that limits it productivity. Slope, which is an element of
landform, is a critical factor. It is the angle of inclination of the land measured from the
horizontal. Where the slope is steep or above 18 percent, thearea becomes unfit for
agriculture. Soil erosion proceeds at a faster rate since the top soil which is rich in
humus, is easily eroded and the soil becomes unproductive. This is especially true in the
Philippineswhere a great amount of rainfall is received annually. The erosion effect of
surface water is facilitated if the gradient is high.
Considering the country's landform and climate, and giving allowance for
settlement and industrial and commercial purposes, it is estimated that about 45percent
of the land area of the Philippines is suitable for cultivation. Comparing this with that
of Japan, it is significant tonote that only l6 percent of the total land arca of Japan is
arable. Japan is a land of steep slopes and mountains with relatively small lowlands.
Thus, with an arca of357,000 square kilometers, her total cultivable land is only 57,120
square kilometers. In contrast the Philippines with a land area of 300,000 square
kilometers has an arable land of 135,000square kilometers which is more than twice
that of Japan.
With about 45 percent of the total area of the Philippines as arable, it is reasonable
to state that the landforms of the country as a whole is favorable for economic
development. There are no very high mountains and very steep slopes in the country
The highest peak, Mt. Apo, is only 2,930 meters. However, the drawback is that the
level lands are not extensive enough which could be a handicap in mechanized tarmin