Module 2
Module 2: Physical Foundations of the Philippines
Geography & Space in History
Geography shapes society, identity, and history.
Terrain and climate influenced travel, settlement, trade, and political organization.
Example: Mountains limited land travel in Luzon; seas encouraged maritime trade.
Perspectives in Understanding Space
Human Geography – How people interact with spaces (economic, social, cultural).
Identities tied to landforms (e.g., Igorot = from golot "mountain").
Resources shaped economies: Cordillera gold, maritime trade, Palawan birds’ nests.
Mythological Origins – Myths encode indigenous worldviews and ecological knowledge.
Example: Tagalog myth of Malakas at Maganda born from bamboo.
Myths reflect identity, environment, and conservation practices.
Scientific Take – Science helps explain patterns of continuity and change.
Jesuit observatories in Manila predicted storms.
Modern geology, climatology, and archaeology deepen historical understanding.
Key Concepts
Means of Movement – Geography shapes connectivity.
Resource Niches – Availability of resources defines economic activity.
Identity Formation – Place names and origins tied to environment.
Territoriality – Assertion of political control over bounded space (ancestral domains, state territory, etc.).