Unit Ii Eed 18

Unit II:
Topography of
the Philippines
TOPOGRAPHY is the study of the
land surface. In particular, it lays the
underlying foundation of a landscape.
For example, topography refers to
mountains, valleys, rivers, or craters on
the surface.
The origin of topography comes
from “topo” for “place” and “graphia”
for “writing”.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
THE PHILIPPINE CLIMATE
CLIMATE is the average
weather in a given area over a
longer period of time. A
description of a climate
includes information on, e.g.
the average temperature in
different seasons, rainfall, and
sunshine. Also a description of
the (chance of) extremes is
often included.
WEATHER is the mix
of events that happen
each day in our
atmosphere. Weather is
different in different
parts of the world and
changes over minutes,
hours, days and weeks.
The Climate of the Philippines is tropical
and maritime. It is characterized by
relatively high temperature, high humidity
and abundant rainfall. It is similar in many
respects to the climate of the countries of
Central America. Temperature, humidity,
and rainfall, which are discussed
hereunder, are the most important elements
of the country's weather and climate.
TEMPERATURE
Based on the average of all weather stations in the Philippines, excluding
Baguio, the mean annual temperature is 26.6o C. The coolest months fall in
January with a mean temperature of 25.5oC while the warmest month occurs in
May with a mean temperature of 28.3oC. Latitude is an insignificant factor in the
variation of temperature while altitude shows greater contrast in temperature.
Thus, the mean annual temperature of Baguio with an elevation of 1,500 meters is
18.3oC. This makes the temperature of Baguio comparable with those in the
temperate climate and because of this, it is known as the summer capital of the
Philippines.
The difference between the mean annual temperature of the southernmost
station in Zamboanga and that of the northernmost station in Laoag is
insignificant. In other words, there is essentially no difference in the mean annual
temperature of places in Luzon, Visayas or Mindanao measured at or near sea
level.
HUMIDITY
Humidity refers to the moisture content of
the atmosphere. Due to high temperature and
the surrounding bodies of water, the
Philippines has a high relative humidity. The
average monthly relative humidity varies
between 71 percent in March and 85 percent
in September. The combination of warm
temperature and high relative and absolute
humidities give rise to high sensible
temperature throughout the archipelago. It is
especially uncomfortable during March to
May, when temperature and humidity attain
their maximum levels.
RAINFALL
Rainfall is the most important climatic
element in the Philippines. Rainfall distribution
throughout the country varies from one region to
another, depending upon the direction of the
moisture-bearing winds and the location of the
mountain systems.
The mean annual rainfall of the Philippines
varies from 965 to 4,064 millimeters annually.
Baguio City, eastern Samar, and eastern Surigao
receive the greatest amount of rainfall while the
southern portion of Cotabato receives the least
amount of rain. At General Santos City in
Cotabato, the average annual rainfall is only 978
millimeters.
THE SEASONS
Using temperature and rainfall
as bases, the climate of the country
can be divided into two major
seasons: (1) the rainy season, from
June to November; and (2) the dry
season, from December to May.
The dry season may be subdivided
further into (a) the cool dry season,
from December to February; and
(b) the hot dry season, from March
to May.

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