The Philippines

The Philippines

GEOGRAPHY

• Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea, east of Vietnam
• Geographic Coordinates:13 00 N, 122 00 E
• Area: total: 300,000 sq. km (land: 298,170 sq. km; water: 1,830 sq. km)

(CIA: The World Factbook 2001: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html)

• Having problems linking all of its islands together into one grid and ensuring availability of electric power to the remaining 9,708 villages without electricity.

(EIA: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/philippi.html)

GEODYNAMICS

• Major mature volcanic arc, formed from long-lasting subduction of Philippines Sea plate below Eurasian plate
• Mindinao
• Southernmost island of the Philippines
• West-vergent subduction of the Pacific plate below the Philippine Sea plate
• East-vergent subduction of the Indochina shelf below the Philippine arc
• Mariana
• Classic example of an immature island arc
• Subduction of Pacific plate below Philippine Sea plate

(Acadia University: http://ace.acadiau.ca/science/geol/rraeside/quizzes/world-notes.htm)

In the west, more steeply east-dipping subduction of the Eurasian Plate (South China Sea basing and the transitional oceanic-continental crust of the Palawan block) along the 560 mile (900 km) length of the Manila and Sulu trenches produces a discontinuous line of active volcanoes from Taal in the south to Iraya in the north. Volcanism associated with this subduction zone began about 10 million years ago.
(University of North Dakota, http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/southeast_asia/philippines/Phivolcn.gif)

In the east, shallow west-dipping subduction of the Philippine Plate at the Philippine Trench produces a line of volcanoes from Balut in the south to Mayon in the north Based on Divis (1983).

Volcanoes in the east-west zone across central Luzon may be associated with a "leaky" transform fault that connects the two subducion zones. The transform fault is offset to the right by the younger Philippines Fault. Based on Divis (1983).

The volcanoes of the Philippines are the most deadly and costly in the world. Fatalities have been caused by 13% of the historic eruptions, most notably at Taal and Mayon, and 22% of the eruptions caused damage. Mudflows are more common in the Philippines, compared to other regions, because of heavy rains. Tsunami are more commonly associated with eruptions at the Philippines than in any other volcanic region. Many of the Holocene volcanoes in the Philippines have eruptive products that have not been dated. Since the Philippines Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has been established the impacts of eruptions have been greatly reduced.

(University of North Dakota: http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/southeast_asia/philippines/tectonics.html)

ELECTRICITY

• Electric Generation Capacity (1999E): 12 million kilowatts
• Electricity Generation (2000E): 40.7 billion kilowatthours (bkwh) 
• Thermal: 57.5%, Hydro: 19.9%, Renewable: 22.6%*)
• Electricity Consumption (2000E): 37.8 bkwh 
• Power Industry Reform Act (2001)
• To develop indigenous resources
• To cut the high cost of power
• To encourage foreign investment.
• Separate local systems are being established to meet economical needs

(EIA: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/philippi.html)

GEOTHERMAL ELECTRICITY GENERATION

• The world's second largest producer of geothermally-generated electricity, with an available capacity of 1931MW (2001)
• Geothermal power accounts for the country's largest share of indigenous energy production (16% of the total installed generation capacity), followed by hydropower, coal, oil and gas
• With foreign investment and cooperation, projects of additional geothermal energy facilities are underway.

(EIA: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/philippi.html)

• An agreement over geothermal development was singed between the Philippines and Indonesia in November 2001.

(www.gov.ph: www.gov.ph/news/default.asp?newsid=177)

PLANNED CAPACITY

GEOTHERMAL POTENTIAL

Geothermal energy resources have been initially assessed in forty (40) sites to have an aggregate potential capacity between 2,365 MW and 3,705 MW. Of these potentials, 1,194 MW is ready being utilized and 900 MW is presently being developed. About 270 to 1,600 MW is estimated to available for future development.

Source/quotation: 1996 Power Development Program (1996-2005),
National Power Corporation Diliman (NPC), Quezon City.
Luzon&Vis/Min Systems Planning Departments, Corporate Planning Group, September 1995.

(EM: http://www.gtz.de/em-home/phil/emphil22.htm)

CONSIDERATIONS

WORLD HERITAGE

• Tubbataha Reef Marine Park
• Puerto-Princesa Subterranean River NP

(UNESCO: http://whc.unesco.org/sites/natural.htm)

NATIONAL PARKS AND RESERVES

VULNERABLE/ENDANGERED ECOREGIONS

• Greater Negros-Panay rain forests (IM0114)
• Luzon montane rain forests (IM0122)
• Mindanao montane rain forests (IM0128)
• Mindanao-Eastern Visayas rain forests (IM0129)
• Mindoro rain forests (IM0130)
• Palawan rain forests (IM0143)
• South China Sea Islands (IM0148)
• Sulu Archipelago rain forests (IM0156)
• Luzon tropical pine forests (IM0302)

(WWF: http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial_im.html)

GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF ECOREGIONS

(National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/terrestrial.html?id=1&mapServiceName=WW_Terrecos
&locWidth=120&locHeight=72&cMinx=141.8004&cMiny=45.914108&cMaxx=142.666901&cMaxy=47.798401&size=small
&detail=detailed?id=1&size=small&detail=detailed&cMinx=142.23&cMiny=41&cMaxx=185.43&cMaxy=69.13)

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION

Population Distribution by Region: 2000

(NSO: http://www.census.gov.ph/data/pressrelease/2002/pr02178tx.html)

References

1. Acadia University. Significant places for global tectonics. Retrieved from world wide web: http://ace.acadiau.ca/science/geol/rraeside/quizzes/world-notes.htm (November 24, 2002)
   
   
2. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (January 2002). The world factbook 2002 – the Philippines. Retrieved from world wide web : http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rp.html (September 10, 2002)
   
   
3. Endangered Endemic Species of the Philippines.( September 1999). Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/4625/main.html (November 2, 2002)
   
   
4. Energy Information Administration (EIA). (May 2002). Country analysis briefs – the Philippines. Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/philippi.html (November 2, 2002)
   
   
5. Environment Manual for Power Development (EM). Geothermal resource potential – the Philippines. Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.gtz.de/em-home/phil/emphil22.htm (September 10, 2002)
   
   
6. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Aquaculture feed and fertilizer resource atlas of the Philippines – Population and population density by region. Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/003/W6928E/w6928e0c.htm#Table%202.%20Population%20and%20population%20density%20by%20region (December 12, 2002)
   
   
7. Geothermal Education Office (GEO). (October 1997). The Philippines. Retrieved from world wide web : http://www.geothermal.marin.org/map/phil.html (September 10, 2002)
   
   
8. Government of the Philippines. (2002). www.gov.ph. GMA, Megawati witness signing of gov'tto-gov't, private sector accords. Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.gov.ph/news/default.asp?newsid=177 (November 2,2002)
   
   
9. International Geothermal Association (IGA). (May 2002). Welcome to our page with data for Philippines. Retrieved from world wide web: http://iga.igg.cnr.it/philippines.php (November 2, 2002)
   
   
10. National Geographic. Wild world – Terrestrial ecoregions of the world. Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/wildworld/terrestrial.html?id=1&mapServiceName=WW_Terrecos&locWidth=120
    &locHeight=72&cMinx=141.8004&cMiny=45.914108&cMaxx=142.666901&cMaxy=47.798401&size=small
    &detail=detailed?id=1&size=small&detail=detailed&cMinx=142.23&cMiny=41&cMaxx=185.43&cMaxy=69.13 (October 20, 2002)
    
    
11. National Statistical Coordination Bord (NSCB). (June 2002). Population Distribution. Retrieved from world wide web : http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/listcity2.asp (by city), http://www.nscb.gov.ph/activestats/psgc/listprov.asp (by province) (November 2, 2002)
    
    
12. National Statistics Office, Republic of the Philippines (NSO). (October 16, 2002). Philippines: Population expected to reach 100 million filipinos in 14 years – Population distribution by region :2000. Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.census.gov.ph/data/pressrelease/2002/pr02178tx.html (December 27, 2002)
    
    
13. United Nation Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (July 1, 2002). Natural properties on the world heritage list. Retrieved from world wide web: http://whc.unesco.org/sites/natural.htm (November 24, 2002)
    
    
14. University of North Dakota. Tectonics and Volcanoes of the Philippines, Retrieved from world wide web: http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/volc_images/southeast_asia/philippines/tectonics.html> (October 5, 2002)
    
    
15. World Wildlife Funds (WWF). Ecoregions. Retrieved from world wide web: http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildworld/profiles/terrestrial_im.html (November 24, 2002)

<<back || index || next>>