Natural Resources in the Philippines

Natural Resources

  • Definition: Raw materials essential for human survival, derived from nature and have significant commercial value.
    • Include both living (plants, animals) and non-living (minerals, water) components.

Richness of Natural Resources in the Philippines

  • Agricultural Variety: Philippines has fertile land producing crops such as:
    • Coconut
    • Copra
    • Banana
    • Pineapples
    • Sugar
    • Rubber
    • Rice (staple food, largely produced in Central Luzon)

Diversity of Flora and Fauna

  • Endemic Species: Many plants and animals found only in the Philippines.
    • Philippines is among the top 17 countries accounting for 70-80% of the world's biological diversity.

Types of Natural Resources in the Philippines

  1. Water Resources
  2. Land Resources
  3. Fishery Resources
  4. Mineral Resources
  5. Energy Resources
  6. Forest Resources

Water Resources

  • Description: Include rivers, lakes, oceans, and waterfalls crucial for:
    • Drinking
    • Farming
    • Electricity
    • Tourism
  • Key Examples:
    • Cagayan River (longest river in the Philippines)
    • Laguna de Bay (largest lake)
    • Maria Cristina Falls (hydroelectric power)
    • Taal Lake (home to rare Tawilis fish)
    • Buhi Lake (known for Sinarapan fish)

Importance of Water Resources

  • Support the economy, provide irrigation, power generation, and wildlife habitat.
  • Major dams like Angat, Ambuklao, and Aragon critical for electricity production.

Land Resources

  • Importance: Essential for:
    • Farming (Philippines is agriculture-focused)
    • Housing
    • Industry
  • Statistics:
    • Forest covers 55% of land area (16,633,000 hectares).
    • Rank third in Asia for forest reserves.
  • Major Farming Areas:
    • Cagayan Valley
    • Central Luzon
    • Mindanao
  • Major Crops:
    • Rice, corn, coconut, banana, sugarcane.

Mineral Resources

  • Definition: Natural substances found underground used for construction and tools.
  • Estimated Deposits:
    • Metallic: 21.5 billion metric tons
    • Non-metallic: 19.3 billion metric tons
  • Types of Minerals:
    • Metallic: Gold, copper, nickel (construction and electronics)
    • Non-Metallic: Marble, limestone, clay (tiles, cement)
    • Examples of Deposits:
    • Nickel (Surigao del Norte, Davao)
    • Iron (Ilocos Norte, Nueva Ecija)
    • Copper (Zambales, Batangas)

Fishery Resources

  • Commercial Value: 2,400 fish species, 65 with significant economic value.
  • Best Fishing Areas:
    • Sintangki Island (Sulu)
    • Estancia (Bohol)
    • Malampaya (Palawan)
  • Other Resources: Corals, pearls, crabs, seaweed, and salt.

Energy Resources

  • Definition: Power sources for homes and industries.
    • Can be renewable (e.g., geothermal, wind, solar) or non-renewable (e.g., coal, oil).
  • Renewable Energy Sources:
    • Geothermal: utilized heat from earth
    • Hydroelectric: uses moving water to generate power
    • Wind Energy: harnesses kinetic energy of wind
    • Solar Energy: derived from sun
  • Examples:
    • Hydropower in Laguna, Benguet
    • Geothermal energy in Albay, Negros
    • Wind turbines in Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Forest Resources

  • Role and Importance:
    • Provide habitat for wildlife.
    • Source of wood and paper.
    • Help prevent soil erosion and flooding.
    • Support indigenous communities.
  • Issue: Due to deforestation, the Philippines must import wood to meet needs.