The Philippine Geography, National Territory, And Resources

LECTURE NOTES – PHILIPPINE HISTORY, GOVERNANCE, AND CONSTITUTION

OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL TERRITORY OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Article I of the 1987 Philippine Constitution provides for the composition of the territory of the Republic of the Philippines. Thus: “The national territory comprises the Philippine archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial, and aerial domains, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas.The waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breadth and dimensions, form part of the internal waters of the Philippines.” (Emphasis supplied.) The territories covered are those integral from the (1) Treaty of Paris in 1898, (2) Treaty of Washington of 1900 (between the United States and Spain), and (3) The Treaty of 1930 (between the United States and Great Britain). Basically, the Philippines is an archipelago. An archipelago means “a group of islands, including parts of islands, interconnecting waters and other natural features which are so closely interrelated that such islands, waters and other natural features form an intrinsic geographical, economic and political entity; or which historically have been regarded as such”.1 But notwithstanding such “all-encompassing definition”, any coastal State (e.g. the Philippines) must accord respect to other territorial domains that may overlap those belonging to other country/nation states. Thus, the “if a part of the archipelagic waters of an archipelagic State lies between two parts of an immediately adjacent neighbouring State, existing rights and all other legitimate interests which the latter State has traditionally exercised in such waters and all rights stipulated by agreement between those States shall continue and be respected.”2 The Philippines is said to be the largest archipelago in the world, with approximately seven thousand and one hundred (7,100) islands. It is considered as large as the Italy and bigger than the Great Britain.3 Geographically, the Philippines is comprised by three major islands namely the (1) Luzon, (2) Visayas, and (3) Mindanao. In its northernmost islet comes the island of Y”ami, which is about 240 kilometers off Taiwan; the southernmost island, which is about 24 kilometers north of Borneo is the island of Saulag. 4 Meanwhile, the bodies of water surrounding the Philippine Archipelago are the following:   

EAST – The Pacific Ocean; WEST – South China Sea; SOUTH – Celebes/Zulu Seas5

1

Part IV, Article 46, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Ibid. 3 Philippine Governance and the 1987 Constitution, page 61 (Lazo) 4 Ibid. 2

CONSOLIDATED BY: | TINA SIUAGAN

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ARCHIPELAGIC DOCTRINE – SIGNIFICANCE TO THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL TERRITORY The “archipelagic doctrine” was proposed by Atty. Arturo M. Tolentino, a statesman and civil law authority He remains to hold credit upon the promulgation of the Archipelagic Doctrine as early as 1956. He was the chairman of the Philippine delegation to the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) from 1978 to 1982. The concept or doctrine, owing to Mr. Tolentino, provides the framework of “hypothetical extent” practicable over any archipelago’s maritime domain and immediate territorial boundaries. It provides that the inland seas and continental shelves shall become integral parts of the sovereign territories of archipelagic nation-States. The Archipelagic Doctrine adheres to the territorial or maritime integration of divided islands or islets into one cohesive geographical entity.

(Photo of the Philippines, drawn with baseline demarcations, based on the UNCLOS. Illustration from “A Primer on the Law of the Sea, by Merlin M. Magallona”; Photo source link: http://www.up.edu.ph/philippine-territory-and-the-un-convention-on-the-law-of-the-sea/)

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Specifically, the archipelago doctrine is comprised of the following metes and bounds: 1.

THE ARCHIPELAGO – This is illustrated by setting out marks or points of the outermost islands, including the bordering edges, baseline corners, and outer tips, and joining all these points by forming hypothetical lines. With this type of “mapping” all the waters between, around, and connecting all such islands inside the “hypothetical line” drawn shall comprise the internal waters of the State, and shall be referred to as the Inland or Internal Waters. Such “hypothetical line” which circumscribes the Philippine Archipelago per se (as may be seen in the illustration provided in item no. 9 of this material) shall be assigned as the INNER BASELINE. Inner baseline is also known as the “outer ring”.6

2.

THE TERRITORIAL SEA OR WATER – From the Inner Baseline, a 12-nautical mile stretch must be drawn in a manner from which all corners, edges, and tips – when connected – follows the contour or shape of the whole archipelago, as illustrated in the next preceding paragraph. The body of water within such 12-nautical mile stretch shall be designated the “territorial sea”. Meanwhile, the line, which is drawn from the 12-nautical mile stretch, circumscribing the whole archipelagic entity is known as the OUTER BASELINE. The Outer Baseline is also referred to as the “outermost ring”.7

3. CONTIGUOUS ZONE (SEA) – By drawing a 12-nautical mile stretch from the outer baseline (or the outermost ring), there comes the Contiguous Zone or Sea. It is such zone that is very close or connected with the territorial sea. Under Section 4, Article 33 of the UNCLOS, the following may be exercised by the coastal State (herein the Philippines) over its contiguous zone: (1) prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; and (2) punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea.8 4. EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE – By drawing a 200-nautical mile stretch from the Outer Baseline, still following the exact shape or contour of the entire Philippine Archipelago, one may yield the demarcation designated as the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Significantly, this is where the Philippines enjoys the exclusive right to explore, exploit, conserve, and manage the maritime resources of the sea, including the minerals on its seabed and subsoil.9 6

Philippine Governance and the 1987 Constitution (Lazo), page 62 Ibid. 8 Ibid. 9 Ibid. 7


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This zone is one where the Philippines, as an archipelagic state, “has sovereign rights for the purposes of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds”.10 However, in the exercise of its rights and performance of its duties within the exclusive economic zone, the Philippines shall have due regard to the rights and duties of other States and shall act in a manner compatible with the provisions of the UNCLOS.11 This means that as regards with other countries or states, they can be entitled to enjoy the resources of such area. However, such enjoyment shall not involve the exploitation, conservation, management, and exploration of any of such resources found therein.12 The EEZ is an additional element of the Archipelagic Doctrine in consonance with the UNCLOS. According to Atty. Tolentino, this concept of the EEZ provides some useful benefits. They are, among others, to wit: a. By virtue of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Philippines may exercise ownership over minerals, oil, and living resources in the waters and the seabed and subsoil of the Archipelago, the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone around the islands, and the continental shelf even beyond 200-miles from the shore. b. There is an increase in the number of territorial waters put under the Philippine jurisdiction, including the EEZ, which amounts to more than ninety three (93) million hectares. c. There came an acceptance of the Philippines by the international community as a single, political, economic, and geographic unit with no international waters between the different islands.13

PHILIPPINES’ MARITIME TERRITORY – SCOPE OF JURISDICTION OVER NAVIGABLE WATERS The following are within the maritime jurisdiction of the Republic of the Philippines: 10

Article 56, UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 12 As a matter of fact Article 62 of the UNCLOS provides that the “nationals of other States fishing in the exclusive economic zone shall comply with the conservation measures and with the other terms and conditions established in the laws and regulations of the coastal State…” 13 Philippine Governance and the 1987 Constitution (Lazo), page 63 11


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INTERNAL WATERS – They are the ones referred to as “fluvial waters” (See Article I of the 1987 Philippine Constitution). These waters include among others lakes and rivers, and other such types or bodies of water within the Philippine archipelago.

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TERRITORIAL WATERS – This is usually referred to as the conventional maritime belt of the archipelago. The Philippines has its own twelve (12) nautical miles circumscribing its archipelago – a delineation that is pursuant to the UNCLOS agreement.



WATERS IN THE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE – The bodies of water within the two hundred (200) nautical miles from the outermost ring of the territorial sea, which extends the Philippine State the exclusive right to explore, to exploit, to conserve and to manage the maritime and natural resources.

Meanwhile, the so-called INTERNATIONAL SEAS are not subject any jurisdiction by any State. Nonetheless, each of the country States in the world enjoys an equal opportunity to use the same for the advancement of human interest for the benefit of humankind.14 (Source link: http://pedrokomentaryokapihan.blogspot.com/2012/04/ph ilippineschina-and-scharboroughshoal.html) The other maritime include the following:

domains

 SEABED – This refers to the land or the floor of the sea that holds the body of water, including mineral and natural resources thereof.  SUBSOIL – This is the land or the soil beneath the seabed, which a State may exploit limitly for resources found underneath it.  INSULAR SHELVES / CONTINENTAL SHELVES – It is defined as “those that include the submerged portions of a continent or offshore island, which slope gently seaward from the low waterline to a point where a substantial break

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in the grade occurs, at which point the bottom slopes seaward at a considerable increase in slope, until the great ocean depths are reached”. (Please refer to the diagram in the left for illustration.)15 The composition of the Philippine National Territory is provided for under Article I of the 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. However, the Philippine Constitution, being merely a municipal law, may not bind other international states and nations pursuant to the principles of international law. Consequently, it is not enough that the Philippines hold its own claims over the territories, which it asserts as belonging under its sovereign power or jurisdiction. There must be a concrete and “crystallized” principle of international law to strengthen such claims.16 Hence, the rationale for the proposition of the archipelagic doctrine, which was eventually adopted by the UN member states in the 1982 UNCLOS Agreement, is to invoke the Philippine’s territorial jurisdiction, as well as protect the maritime integrity of the Philippine State.

PASSAGES THROUGH ARCHIPELAGIC WATERS OR LANES According to Article 18 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, “passage” is one which: 1.

Means navigation through the territorial sea for the purpose of: (a) traversing that sea without entering internal waters or calling at a roadstead or port facility outside internal waters; or (b) proceeding to or from internal waters or a call at such roadstead or port facility.

2. Passage shall be continuous and expeditious. However, passage includes stopping and anchoring, but only in so far as the same are incidental to ordinary navigation or are rendered necessary by force majeure or distress or for the purpose of rendering assistance to persons, ships or aircraft in danger or distress. The UNLCOS agreement, which was ratified by the Philippine Batas Pambansa (then equivalent of the current Philippine Congress), mentions about the regime of archipelagic sea lanes passage. This regime allows traverse of foreign ships through the Philippines’ “archipelagic waters”. The archipelagic sea lanes passage is defined and explained by the UNCLOS as:  An “exercise xxx of the rights of navigation and over-flight in the normal mode solely for the purpose of continuous, expeditious and unobstructed transit between one part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone and another part of the high seas or an exclusive economic zone.”;  “Such sea lanes and air routes shall traverse the archipelagic waters and the adjacent territorial sea and shall include all normal passage routes used as routes for international navigation or over-flight through or over archipelagic waters and, within such routes, so far as ships are concerned, all normal 15 16

Philippine Governance and the 1987 Constitution (Lazo), page 64 Supranote 6


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navigational channels, provided that duplication of routes of similar convenience between the same entry and exit points shall not be necessary.”  One that “shall not in other respects affect the status of the archipelagic waters, including the sea lanes, or the exercise by the archipelagic State of its sovereignty over such waters and their air space, bed and subsoil, and the resources contained therein…” 17 On the other hand, the “right of innocent passage” is one which is not prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security of the coastal State, and conforms to the provisions of UNLCOS and other principles of international law.18 In so far as archipelagic states, such as the Philippines, are concerned, the right of innocent passage may be exercised by “ships of all states”, subject to the regulations provided for by the UNCLOS agreement and/or relevant principles of international law. A. PROHIBITED ACTS DURING INNOCENT PASSAGE As provided for by the UNLCOS, the passage of a foreign ship shall be considered to be prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State – hence, prohibited - if in the territorial sea it engages in any of the following activities: 

         

any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of the coastal State, or in any other manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations; any exercise or practice with weapons of any kind; any act aimed at collecting information to the prejudice of the defence or security of the coastal State; any act of propaganda aimed at affecting the defence or security of the coastal State; the launching, landing or taking on board of any aircraft; the launching, landing or taking on board of any military device; the loading or unloading of any commodity, currency or person contrary to the customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations of the coastal State; any act of wilful and serious pollution contrary to this Convention; any fishing activities; the carrying out of research or survey activities; any act aimed at interfering with any systems of communication or any other facilities or installations of the coastal State;

17

Lecturer’s note: Notwithstanding this provision, the UNCLOS provides that “such sea lanes and traffic separation schemes shall conform to generally accepted international regulations.” The requisite of “conformity” has the effect of infringing – to some extent – the exclusive jurisdiction and exercise of sovereign power of the Philippine state over said sea lanes, which apparently are within the ambit and coverage of its national territory in general, and maritime dominion in particular. (See report on Professor Magallona’s criticsims of the Archipelagic Doctrine in the succeeding discussions.) 18

UNCLOS


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any other activity not having a direct bearing on passage.

OTHER TERRITORIES OF THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO / STATE As enumerated by Lazo, in his book entitled “Philippine Governance and the 1987 Constitution”: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Pursuant to the Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1898, all those territories ceded or transferred by Spain to the United States of America (USA); By virtue of the Treaty of Washington signed on November 7, 1900, those islands of Cagayan, Sulu, and Siboto, as ceded thereby again by the Spain to the USA; The islands covered under the treaty between the US and Great Britain on January 2, 1930, namely the Turtle Islands and Mangsee Islands; and The islands of Batanes by virtue of occupation and possession; The Roponggi Property in Japan; Philippine Embassies aborad under the International Law principle.

ARCHIPELAGIC DOCTRINE – DISADVANTAGES AND CRITICISMS Meanwhile, authorities of law aver that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas is one problematic agreement, which the Philippines had entered into, ratified, and adopted. According to Professor Merlin Magallona, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law and Undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (2001-2002), the UNCLOS had in effect made the Philippines lose its boundaries as a State “resulting in the loss of vast expanse of its territorial sea”. Professor Magallona avers that the Philippines is the only country state that allowed its National Territory “to be revised by a treaty” or an agreement. Because of the UNCLOS agreement, the country is now open “to the ‘right of innocent passage of all ships of all States’ without need of express permission from our government.” As a result, the Philippines maritime domains or territorial waters have been internationalized under the UNCLOS as “archipelagic waters”. This, as asserted by Magallona, is contrary to categorization of such bodies of water under the Philippine Constitution as “internal waters”, whereby navigation over which by foreign ships requires the Philippines’ express permission. Furthermore, Atty. Magallona emphasized that the UNCLOS agreement is a “blatant violation” of the Philippine Constitution. As mentioned in page 1 of this lecture notes, the national territory of the Philippines that is embodie under the 1987 Philippine Constitution, had its bases from the treatises between United States of America (USA) and Spain, as well as the treaty between USA and Britain. Accordingly, and as asserted by Magallona, the scope of the Philippine territory set forth by these treatises were actually embodied by the 1935 Philippine Constitution. He further explained that these international treaty limits are not merely “imaginary technical lines” for they were “provided by authority the United States, Federal Government in the Jones Law and in the Tydings-McDuffie Act


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(the basis of Philippine independence) as determining in practice the scope of its sovereignty and jurisdiction.” (Emphasis supplied.) Atty. Magallona questioned the propriety of the elimination of the long-settled boundaries set by virtue of the aforesaid treatises through the ratification of the Philippines of the UNCLOS agreement during the Marcos regime. This, according to Magallona, is in “utter disregard of the Constitution”. 19

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To read more about Atty. Magallona’s critique of the UNCLOS and the archipelagic doctrine, click on the source link provided for in the archipelagic/baseline doctrine photo caption.


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RESOURCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES DISCLAIMER: This part of the lecture aid is a collection of texts originating from various materials and/or sources online. Direct source links for each shall either be cited expressly within the following paragraphs or footnoted. Be guided accordingly. TERRESTRIAL STRUCTURES AND RESOURCES20 The landscape of the Philippines is shaped by its mountains and volcanoes. A. MOUNTAINS / MOUNTAIN RANGES  In Luzon, there are five major mountain ranges, namely: Caraballo, Cordillera, Sierra Madre, Zambales and Tagaytay. The Caraballo and Cordillera mountain ranges are found in the northern portion of Luzon while the Sierra Madre mountain range is located in the west-north portion of Luzon (Quezon, Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Cagayan provinces). The Zambales range is situated in the provinces of Zambales and Bataan while the Tagaytay range is situated in the southern Tagalog provinces of Cavite and Batangas.  In the island of Mindanao, there are four major mountain ranges, namely: Surigao, Butuan, Central-Western and Western. The highest mountain, Mt Apo (9,692 feet), is located in the central-western range.

B. VOLCANIC STRUCTURES  Active volcanoes can be found in the various regions of the country. Among these volcanoes, Mt. Pinatubo, Taal volcano and Mt. Mayon have produced the most destructive eruptions. The eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1990 buried towns, killed dozens of people, and rendered tens of thousands of people homeless. The eruption of Taal volcano in 1911 killed more than 1,300 persons and its eruption in 1966 buried six barrios and killed hundreds of people. On the other hand, these volcanoes have made the land very fertile, and the produce of the land, however inadequate during certain periods of time, has sustained the Filipino people throughout its history. C. CROPS AND OTHER LAND PRODUCE  The Philippines is comprised of fertile land that produces a variety of crops such as coconut, copra, banana, pineapples, sugar, gum, resins and rubber. Some of these agricultural crops are raised for export.

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http://philippines-atbp.jimdo.com/geography-resources/


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 Rice, which is the staple food of Filipinos, is produced, largely, in the Central Plains of Luzon. Rice production often falls short of consumption requirement, and quite ironically, the Philippines is a rice importer.  Plant and animal life is extremely diverse, and many plants and animals are endemic to the Philippines, which means they can be found only in this country. The Philippines holds the distinction one of the seventeen countries whose combined plant and animal species account for 70-80% of the world's biological diversity.  The Philippines has approximately 52,177 species of flora and fauna.  From among these living things, an estimated 14,000 plant species and 1,130 animals with backbones (terrestrial vertebrates) are found in forest areas. 

Some Philippine animals and plants are now listed in the CITES Appendix I as critically endangered species. The endangered Philippine species found in the list include, among others, the Calamian deer, giant scops owl, Koch's pitta, Mindoro imperial pigeon, Palawan peacock pheasant, Panay flying-fox, Philippine crocodile, Philippine eagle, Philippine tamaraw, Visayan warty pig and various types of orchids. Forest management is at a critical stage. Only remnants of the total forest area during the early 1900 remain and they are found in the mountain ranges. The survival of these plants and animals depends on the conservation of forest and wildlife environment.

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The Philippine eagle is one of the largest (if not the largest) eagles in the world.

FOREST BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION21  Forest biodiversity is an integral part of Philippine biological diversity. The country is one of the eighteen countries whose biodiversity account for 70-80 percent of the world's plant and animal species. It has approximately 52,177 species of flora and fauna. Most of the Philippine forest cover is located in the Sierra Madre mountain range, Palawan, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao.  The country's forests are a home to some of the world's rare and most endangered species of plants and animals. Approximately 14,000 plant species are found in the forests and approximately 45 to 60 percent of these species are endemic, which means that they are found only in the Philippines. The country ranks fifth in the world in terms of number of plant species. On the other hand, there are a lot of threatened plant species: 99 plants are identified as critically endangered species, 187 are classified as endangered, 176 are listed as vulnerable and 64 plants are considered as threatened species.

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Ibid.


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 Also, approximately 1,130 terrestials vertebrates are found amongst the Philippine forests. One hundred seventy-five (175) of these species are land animals, three hundred ninety-five (395) are land birds, two hundred fifty eight (258) are reptiles and one hundred one (101) are amphibians. Approximately 554 of these species are endemic.22  The Philippines ranks fourth in the world in terms of number of endemic birds present in the country (See "List of Some Endemic Birds of the Philippines.) On the other hand, there are a lot of threatened animal species: 24 animals are identified as critically endangered species, 28 are classified as endangered and 85 animals are listed as vulnerable. A lot of these Philippine animals are listed in CITES Appendix I, which is a list of the most endangered animals in the world. Calamian deer, giant scops owl, green turtle, hawksbill turtle, Mindoro imperial pigeon, Palawan pheasant peacock, Panay flying-fox, Peregrine falcon, Philippine cockatoo, Philippine crocodile, Philippine eagle and the Philippine tamaraw: these are some of the animals found in CITES Appendix I. The protection and conservation of the forest is important not only for the Philippines but also for our planet earth. In addition, the forest is a source of livelihood for millions of Filipinos. For some indigenous people, the forest is a major, inseparable component of their local culture, and the destruction of the forest may mean the disintegration of a main part of their culture and way of life.

 In order to protect and conserve the richness of the country's biodiversity, some laws were enacted by the Philippine Congress. Four of these laws are listed below and these are:  Republic Act 7586, otherwise known as the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act of 1992 – It was enacted for the protection of forest, wetland and marine areas. 

The Act's declared policy was "to secure for the Filipino people of present and future generations the perpetual existence of all native plants and animals through the establishment of a comprehensive system of integrated protected areas within the classification of national park as provided for in the Constitution."

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It defined protected areas as "portions of land and water set aside by reason of their unique physical and biological significance, managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation...."

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It also defined protected landscapes/seascapes as "areas of national significance which are characterized by the harmonious interaction of man and land while providing opportunities for public enjoyment through recreation and tourism within the normal lifestyle and economic activity of these areas...."

 Republic Act 8371, otherwise known as the Indigenous People's Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 22

Native to or confined to a certain region (Wordweb); can only be found in the Philippines.


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The Act was a landmark piece of legislation which reaffirmed, legally, the rights of indigenous peoples to their ancestral land and to promote their culture and practice their way of life. These people have practiced multi-crop agriculture which has helped keep the country's biodiversity.

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The Act's policy was to "recognize and promote all the rights of Indigenous Cultural Communities/Indigenous Peoples (ICCs/IPs) xxx within the framework of national unity and development xxx to their ancestral domains to ensure their economic, social and cultural wellbeing xxx The ICCs/IPs were granted the right to control, develop and protect their sciences, technologies and cultural manifestations, including human and other genetic resources, seeds, including derivatives of these resources, traditional medicines and health practices, vital medicinal plants, animals and minerals, indigenous knowledge systems and practices, knowledge of the properties of fauna and flora xxx"

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At the same time, the Act enumerated the ICCs/IPs' responsibilities and one of these was "to preserve, restore, and maintain a balanced ecology in the ancestral domain by protecting the flora and fauna, watershed areas, and other reserves...."

 Republic Act 8550, otherwise known as the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 

The Act provided for the protection and conservation of coastal and marine species and their habitats.

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The Act declared "food security as the overriding consideration in the utilization, management, development, conservation and protection of fishery resources" as one of its policy. It made the "conservation, protection and sustained management of the country's fishery and aquatic resources" as one of its objectives.

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It banned the introduction of foreign aquatic species in Philippine waters and it provided for the "conservation and rehabilitation" of rare, threatened and endangered species.

 Republic Act 9147 otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001 

The Act provided for the conservation and protection of wildlife species and their habitats.

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This legislative enactment laid down four (4) objectives, to wit: (a) Conserve and protect wildlife species and their habitats (and) to promote ecological balance and enhance biological diversity; (b) Regulate the collection and trade of wildlife;


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(c) Pursue, with due regard to the national interest, the Philippine commitment to international conventions, protection of wildlife and their habitats; and (d) Initiate or support scientific studies on the conservation of biological diversity."

MARINE AND AQUATIC RESOURCES23  MARINE LIFE The Philippines' coastline and marine environment offer a wide variety of habitats such as mangrove forests, coral reefs, sea grass beds, estuaries in coastal areas, and hydrothermal vents. These habitats are home to 468 scleratine corals, 1,755 reef-associated fishes, 648 species of mollusks, 19 species of seagrass and 820 species of algae, which make the Philippines as one the richest coastal and marine environment in the world.  It is estimated that there are 3,212 fish species in the Philippines, and it is assumed that there are more fish species still to be identified or accounted.  Of the 3,212 fish species already identified, 731 fish species are considered commercially important. In spite of this immense wealth, the incidence of poverty in the fishermen sector in the Philippines was the highest in year 2006. As of year 2008, total fish production amounted to 4,965.8 metric tons valued at Php (Philippine peso) 215,511.1 million. Fish production from aquaculture amounted to 2,407.7 metric tons valued at Php 81,518,400. Fish yield from municipal fishing was 1,332.9 metric tons valued at Php 70,967,000 while fish production from commercial fishing was 1,225.2 metric tons valued at Php 63,025,700.

 MANGROVES Mangrove forest cover has nearly doubled in size since 1995. Prior to this period, mangrove forest cover had undergone a drastic decline – from 450,000 hectares in 1918 to 120,000 hectares in 1995.

 CORAL REEFS The area size of coral reefs in the Philippines is estimated at 27,000 square kilometers.  More than 70% of coral reefs are in poor or fair condition while only 5% are in excellent condition.  These coral reefs are a source of livelihood. It is estimated that 62% of the population living along coastal areas are directly dependent on coral reef cover for their livelihood.

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Ibid.


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The Philippines holds the distinction as the country with the second highest seagrass diversity in the world. Nineteen species are found here, and they constitute 55% of the total number of species in East Asia.

 INLAND WATERS Inland waters such as lakes, rivers, ponds, streams, marshes and swamps are home to more than 316 fish species. Approximately 121 of these species are endemic while about 76 of these fishes are threatened species. Other animals that live in inland waters are water-birds, amphibians and the critically endangered Philippine crocodile. A. LAKES  There are more than 70 lakes in the Philippines and 10 of them are considered as the major lakes of the country in terms of area and their contribution to the culture and livelihood of the people living near these lakes.  The largest of these lakes is Laguna de Bay with an area of 3,813.2 square kilometers, and it is a rich source of commercially valuable fishes such as bangus (milkfish), catfish, tilapia and biya. In this lake, too, can be found plants and animal species which are endemic to the country.  The second largest lake is Lake Lanao and it is a reservoir for the Agus hydroelectric power plants which supply more than half of the electric power of Mindanao. It is a major source of food and livelihood, it acts as a water transport highway and it serves as venue for cultural activities. Threats to Lake Lanao's environment include the following: pollution, soil erosion due to indiscriminate logging in the watershed, extensive use of land near the lake for farming and the environmental effects of the hydroelectric dam.  The third largest lake is Taal Lake and it is where the Taal volcano, the smallest volcano in the world, is located. The place is a major tourist attraction but the fishing industry in the area is declining due to pollution of the lake and poor regulation of fish cage operations. Threats to the lake environment are the following: wastewater dumping, watershed habitat alteration, urbanization and introduction of exotic (alien) fishes.

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The Philippine Geography, National Territory, And Resources

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