PAMANTASAN NG CABUYAO |DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES 1

Course Material No.

5
PHILIPPINE GEOGRAPHY

ERUEL A. LAMIS
Course Instructor
PAMANTASAN NG CABUYAO |DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES 2

National Capital Region

and Southern Luzon 1

LEARNING OUTCOMES

To Identify and describe the topography, available natural resources of the following
regions and how they make use of these natural resources in their daily lives.

 National Capital Regions

 Southern Tagalog
 Bicol Region

RESOURCES NEEDED

For this lesson, you would need the following resources:

 PhilGeo-MODULE 5-ppt
 Reference materials, tools, and equipment
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Self-check
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE Module Content
Directions: Choose the letter of the Correct Answer
Self-Check
3
What climate does Manila have?
a. Hot desert climate
b. Tropical savanna climate Refresh Your Memory
c. Temperate oceanic climate 4
d. Cold climate
National Capital Regions
Which of these districts is known as the oldest 4
Chinatown in the world?
a. Binondo
b. Santa Cruz Southern Tagalog
c. Port Area 7
d. Ermita

What is one of the most famous modes of Bicol Region

transportation in Manila? 8
a. Jeepney
b. Bus
c. Car Summary
8
d. Kalesa

Home province of our hero-Dr. Jose Rizal

Key Terms
a. Cavite 8
b. Batangas
c. Laguna
d. Quezon Post test
8
This place are known in Balisong making.
a. Cavite
b. Batangas
c. Laguna
d. Quezon

The Bicol peninsula was called ________ during the

pre-Hispanic era.
a. Nueva Caceres
b. Ibalon
c. Magallanes
d. Los Camarines
PAMANTASAN NG CABUYAO |DISCIPLINES AND IDEAS IN THE APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES 4

Guess the Landmark challenge

Direction: the teacher will show series of photos of landmarks and try to
guess what landmark it is together with its province and region.

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION AND SOUTHERN LUZON

NATIONAL CAPITAL REGIONS

Geography
Metro Manila is located in the southwestern portion of Luzon. The region lies along the flat
alluvial lands extending from the mouth of the Pasig River in the west to the higher rugged lands
of Marikina Valley in the east. The region is geographically divided into 4 zones: the Coastal
Margin, Guadalupe Plateau, Marikina Valley, and the Laguna Lowlands. The Coastal Margin
that faces the Manila Bay possesses resources for offshore fisheries and fishpond development.
The various reclamation projects in the area are meant for mixed-use urban development. The
Guadalupe Plateau is the most adaptable to urban development activities not only because of its
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solid geographical foundations but also because of its existing infrastructure links with the rest of
Luzon. The Marikina Valley has fertile land suitable for crop cultivation while the Marikina
River provides water for industrial uses and discharge. The Laguna Lowlands is not only suitable
for agriculture and aquaculture but also for industrial activity.
Metro Manila is prone to earthquakes because it is surrounded by active faults including the
Marikina Valley Fault System. Other distant faults such as the Philippine Faults, Lubang Faults,
Manila Trench and Casiguran Faults, are a threat as well. Because of the natural disasters that
poses a threat to Metro Manila, Manila was ranked as the second riskiest capital city after Tokyo
to live in according to Swiss Re.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification, NCR features tropical wet and dry climate and
tropical monsoon climate. Metro Manila has a relatively short dry season from January through
May, and a lengthy wet season from June through December.

Parks
There are two national parks in Metro Manila which is managed by the National Parks and
Development Committee, the Rizal Park and Paco Park in Manila. NPDC used to manage Fort
Santiago in Intramuros and the Quezon Memorial National Park in Quezon City. Because of a
tripartite agreement between the Quezon City Government, the National Historical Institute and
the NPDC, the management of Quezon Memorial National Park was transferred to the Quezon
City Government while the maintenance of Fort Santiago is transferred to the Intramuros
Administration.
NCR has three listed protected areas, these are the Rizal Park, Ninoy Aquino Parks & Wildlife
Center and the Manila Bay Beach Resort.
Rizal Park, also known as Luneta Park, is considered as the largest urban park in Asia. In the
Tourism Act of 2009, Rizal Park along with Intramuros are designated as flagship destination to
become a tourism enterprise zone. A new attraction called Paseo de Manila is expected to rise in
Rizal Park. On the other hand, Paco Park is a recreational garden which was once Manila’s
municipal cemetery built by the Dominicans during the Spanish colonial period.
Founded in 1959, Manila Zoo is the oldest zoo in Asia. It is the home to more than a thousand
animals from different 90 species including the 40-year-old elephant, Mali. The zoo has an
average of 4,000 visitors weekly. An estimated 40,000 tourists visits the zoo each month.
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La Mesa Ecopark is a 33-hectare well-developed sanctuary around the La Mesa Watershed. It

was established through a joint partnership between the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage
System, ABS-CBN, and the Quezon City Government. La Mesa Ecopark, along with the Ninoy
Aquino Parks & Wildlife Center, are important nature reserves in the Philippines.
The Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) was declared as a
critical habitat by the Government of the Philippines in 2007 and was listed by the Ramsar
Convention as a Wetland of International Importance in 2013. LPPCHEA is composed of the
Freedom Island in Parañaque and the Long Island in Las Piñas that covers 175 hectares and
features a mangrove forest of eight species, tidal mudflats, secluded ponds with fringing salt-
tolerant vegetation, a coastal lagoon, and a beach.

SOUTHERN TAGALOG
Region IV-A CALABARZON
Geography
Region IV-A also known as CALABARZON was created by virtues of EXECUTIVE ORDER
103 which was approved on May 17, 2002, creating Region IV A and Region IV-B and
transferring the province of Aurora under the territorial and administrative jurisdiction of Region
III. The region is located in south-western part of Luzon, just south and east of Metro Manila, on
the east by the Philippine Sea and Bicol Region, on the south by Verde Island Passage, and on
the west by Luzon Sea. It is practically accessible via all types of land transportation.
CALABARZON consists of five (5) provinces, thirty one (31) congressional districts, twenty
(20) cities, one hundred twenty two (122) municipalities, and four thousand nineteen (4,019)
barangays. The 20 cities of the region are: Antipolo City (Rizal), Bacoor City (Cavite); Cavite
City (Cavite); Imus City (Cavite); Trece Martirez City (Cavite); Tagaytay City (Cavite);
Dasmariñas City (Cavite); General Trias City (Cavite); City of Biñan (Laguna); Cabuyao City
(Laguna); Calamba City (Laguna); San Pablo City (Laguna); San Pedro (Laguna); Sta. Rosa City
(Laguna); Batangas City (Batangas); Lipa City (Batangas); Tanauan City (Batangas); Sto. Tomas
City (Batangas); Lucena City (Quezon); and Tayabas City (Quezon). Quezon province has the
most number of municipalities and barangays while Rizal province has the least.
CALABARZON has varied land forms. It consist partly of coastal areas and mostly upland
interior areas of slightly moderate rolling or undulating plains and hills, and mountains. Almost
sixty percent of the region’s land area has a slope ranging from 0-18 percent.
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Climate
Intense variability in climate is currently being experienced all over the country. As general
information, Region IV-A has all the four (4) types of climate: Type I-with two pronounced
seasons, dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year; Type II-no dry season
with a very pronounced rainfall from November to April and wet during the rest of the year;
Type III-seasons are not very pronounced, relatively dry from November to April and wet during
the rest of the year; and Type IV-rainfall is more or less evenly distributed throughout the year.
The province of Cavite has two (2) distinct seasons: wet from May to November and dry from
December to April. Laguna is relatively dry from November to April and wet during the rest of
the year, specifically in the small portion near the southern boundary. The eastern and southern
portions of Laguna province have no distinct season but with evenly distributed rainfall
throughout the year.
The province of Batangas also has two (2) distinct seasons: dry from November to April and wet
during the rest of the year. On the other hand, the province of Rizal is relatively dry from
December to May and wet during the rest of the year.
Quezon province has three (3) climatic types: no dry season with very pronounced rainfall from
November to January and wet during the rest of the year; not very pronounced season and
relatively dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year; and more or less
evenly distributed rainfall throughout the year.

Natural Resources

The Region has a vast pool of human resource base for the manufacturing and services industries
and has reliable utilities and well-placed infrastructure enhancing faster turn-around times. It has
business-friendly environment, first-class lifestyle, and booming tourism circuits.

CaLaBaRZoN has been the site of the first expansion of industrial growth outside of Metro
Manila and hosts the first wave and the most number of Taiwanese business locators than
anywhere else in the Philippines.

Providing a balance is the Region’s natural endowments in natural resources – from land to
marine – and vast lands for agribusiness and ecotourism sites.

By 2010, CaLaBaRZon will be the nucleus of manufacturing, e-services, and logistics in the
Asia-Pacific Region that would be very significant to and complementary with other global
economies.
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The region is a popular destination for day trips and quick weekend getaways, because of its
proximity to Metro Manila. The region has no shortage of historical shrines, mountains, beaches,
resorts, and festivals that tourists can flock to. Below is an interactive tourist map of
CALABARZON.

Region IV-B MIMAROPA

Geography
To accelerate the social development of the provinces and cities comprising Region IV,
Executive Order 103 dated May 17, 2002 divided the region into Region IV-A
(CALABARZON) and Region IV-B (MIMAROPA).
Region IV-B or MIMAROPA (Mindoro Oriental & Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon, and
Palawan) refers to the cluster of emerald islands and islets stretching across the warm tropical
seas south of southern Luzon, composed of 2 cities, 71 municipalities and 1, 458 barangays. It is
archipelagic having no land border with another region. It is bounded in the north by
CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Verde Island; in the
southeast by Bicol region and Pacific Ocean; in the south lies Panay islands and on the west is
South China Sea. MIMAROPA has a total land area of 2,745,720 hectares representing 9% of
the country’s land. The 2010 Census revealed that MIMAROPA has a total population of
2,522,998.
The region’s economy relies mostly on agriculture, fishing and ecotourism. It is one of the
producers of the country’s top export products like rice, banana, coconut, cashew, and papaya.
The region is also the second top producer of fish and seaweed in the country.
MIMAROPA is one of the busiest regions in terms of tourism.

Region IV-B is home to:

Mindoro Oriental – The Loveliest Harbor in the Island
Mindoro Occidental – The Marine Wonderland
Marinduque – The Lenten Capital
Romblon – The Marble Capital
Palawan – Home of the New Seven Wonders of Nature
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Climate
Being a region with the provinces separated by waters, the whole region does not experience a
single climate but rather, three different climates.
The western part of Palawan, together with Mindoro Occidental, experiences the Type I climate.
This climate is dry from November to April, and wet for the rest of the year. The controlling
factor for this climate is the topography of the area. With the central part of Palawan being
mountainous, the western part of Palawan is protected from the easterlies. However, the area is
open to the effects brought by the south west monsoon and the cyclonic storms. This is also true
for Mindoro Occidental, where it is sheltered from the trade winds by the mountainous ranges in
the middle of the island. However, it too is open to the effects brought by the south west
monsoon and cyclonic storms.
The eastern part of Palawan, together with Romblon, experiences the Type III climate. Unlike
the two pronounced seasons in the Type I climate, this has no pronounced seasons but it is
relatively dry from November to April and wet for the rest of the year. It has a short dry season
ranging from one to three months. Areas experiencing this climate are only partly sheltered from
the trade winds, if not at all. It is also open to the south west monsoon and is also frequently
affected by cyclonic storms.
The last climate type being experienced by the MIMAROPA region is the Type IV climate. This
climate is experienced by Marinduque and Mindoro Oriental. With this climate, rainfall is evenly
distributed throughout the year.

Natural Resources
MIMAROPA is also rich in mineral resources. Important metallic minerals that can be found
include copper, gold, silver, iron, lead, zinc, molybdenum, pyrite, manganese, nickel, chromite,
cobalt, mercury and chromium. Non-metallics are: coal, asbestos, guano and phosphates, red and
white clay, marble, barite, jade and silica.
The Regional Office of DENR-MIMAROPA is presently situated at the L&S Bldg, 1515 Roxas
Boulevard, Malate, Manila. DENR-MIMAROPA has five (5) Provincial Environment and
Natural Resources Offices (PENROs) located in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro; Calapan City,
Oriental Mindoro; Boac, Marinduque; Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; and Odiongan, Romblon.
Its Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs) are found in Mamburao,
Sablayan and San Jose (Occidental Mindoro); Calapan City, Socorro and Roxas (Oriental
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Mindoro); Boac (Marinduque); Puerto Princesa City, Roxas, Taytay, Coron, Narra, Quezon and
Brooke’s Point (Palawan); and Odiongan (Romblon).

Region IV-B
Geography
Bicol Region lies at 122° to 124° east longitude and 12° to 14° latitude or generally at the
midsection of the country. Occupying the southern stretch of Luzon, the Bicol Peninsula is
surrounded by natural barrier. Actually, seas that can by highways for contact with other people.
The area is bounded on the north by Lamon Bay and Pacific Ocean on the East, the Sibuyan Sea
and Ragay Gulf on the west. It has land access to the rest of Luzon through its neighbor on the
north, Quezon Province.
The Bicol Region stretches towards the Pacific Ocean for more than 160 miles from the province
of Camarines Norte in the northwest, to Sorsogon in the southwest. The underbelly of Bicol is
composed of the provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate which stand guard on the northern and
southern approaches.
The Bicol region is composed of four contiguous provinces: ALBAY, CAMARINES SUR,
CAMARINES NORTE, and SORSOGON; two island provinces of CATANDUANES and
MASBATE and seven cities namely Legazpi City, Naga City, Iriga City, Tabaco City, Ligao
City, Sorsogon City and Masbate City.
It has a total land area of 1,763,249 hectares of approximately 17,632,400 square kilometers.
Cmarines Sur is the biggest with 526,682 (Naga City and Iriga City included) and Catanduanes,
the smallest with 151,148 hectares. The other provinces have the following areas: Albay-Legazpi
– 255,257 has.; Camarines Norte – 211,249 has.; Masbate – 404,769 has. Of this land area,
1,250,460 hectares are alienable and disposable while 359,789 hectares are public forest areas.

Climate
The western and southern parts of the Bicol Region along Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte
and Albay do not have pronounced dry and wet seasons. Rainfall in this areas are evenly
distributed the year round, which make them suited to agriculture. The eastern and northern
portion of the region are characterized by a definite absence of dry season with a very
pronounced maximum rain period from November to January.9
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The region is generally hilly and mountainous except for a few stretches of plains extending
from Camarines Sur to the southwestern part of Albay and several smaller coastal and inland
plains in other parts of the peninsula. It has many rivers, lakes, bays, mountains, volcanoes, and
waterfalls, caves and springs. The beautiful and interesting spots are well distributed in the area.
The region is dotted with volcanoes with the imposing and majestic Mayon Volcano as the most
domiant.

Natural Resources
Discover the countryside charms of the Bicol region, one of the most breathtaking landscapes in
the southeast peninsula of Luzon, the largest island in the northern portion of the Philippine
archipelago. Find out some of the best Bicol tourist spots and why it remains a popular travel
destination for adventure seekers and even the less daring.
Known for the almost perfectly conical Mount Mayon Volcano and its panoramic views from
Legazpi, Albay, Bicol comprises of church-laden historic routes, coconut-rich regional cuisine
(with copious amounts of native chilies), spectacular fiestas and festivals, prime diving spots,
virgin beaches of Catanduanes, and vibrant marine biodiversity ideal for spotting and snorkeling
with the whale sharks of Donsol. That's why it's the perfect destination for countless itineraries –
there's always something to do and places to explore!
Bicol opens many doors to memorable activities and experiences in its off-the-beaten tracks that
draw thousands of visitors yearly. This guide counts down the top 12 tourist attractions in Bicol
with things to do that are guaranteed to get you a good dose of rewarding adventures.

SUMMARY
The National Capital Region, officially designated as NCR, is an administrative region in the
Philippines occupying the central section of Luzon. It covers 1 municipality, as well as 16 highly
urbanized cities. The regional center is the City of Manila.
Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 13,484,462. This represented 21.68% of
the overall population of the Luzon island group, or 12.37% of the entire population of the
Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 21,765 inhabitants per
square kilometer or 56,371 inhabitants per square mile.
Southern Tagalog which covered the provinces of Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Marinduque,
Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Palawan, Quezon, Rizal, Romblon and Aurora and the
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highly urbanized City of Lucena, had steadily grown to 11,793,655 persons based on the 2000
Census of Population and Housing (Census 2000). This was up by more than two million persons
as compared to the 1995 Census of Population (POPCEN). For the period 1995 to 2000, the
annual population growth rate of Southern Tagalog was 4.12 percent, higher than that of the
1990 to 1995 period (3.18 percent), and even surpassing the national annual population growth
rate of 2.36 percent. If the current annual population growth rate of the region continues, the
population is expected to double in 17 years, increasing on the average, by almost 500 thousand
persons a year or about 56 persons per hour.

POSTTEST

1. This province is located south of Metro Manila. It is bounded on the north by Rizal, on the east and
south by Quezon, and on the west by Cavite and Batangas.

2. This island province is considered the “Last Frontier” and one of the biggest islands in the Philippines.
It extends toward the southwest forming a partial land bridge between Mindoro and North Borneo.

3. This province lies immediately east of Metro Manila. It is bounded on the north by Bulacan, on the
east by Laguna and Quezon, and on the south by Laguna de Bay.

4. This province is located in an island off the southwest coast of Luzon. It is bounded on the north by
the Verde Island Passage, on the west and south by Mindoro Strait, and on the east by Oriental Mindoro.

5. This province is situated at the southwestern part of Manila across the province of Bataan. It is
bounded by Manila Bay and the city of Manila on the north, Batangas on the south, Rizal and Laguna on
the east, and the South China Sea on the west.

6. This province is bounded on the north by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna, on the south by Verde
Island Passage, on the east by the provinces of Quezon and Laguna, and on the west by the South China
Sea.

7. This island province is located between the Bondoc Peninsula in southeastern Luzon and Mindoro
Island. It is bounded on the north and west by Tayabas Bay, on the east by Mompog Pass, and on the
south by the Sibuyan Sea.

8. This province is composed of a cluster of 20 islands lying in the Sibuyan Sea, practically at the center
of the Philippine Archipelago. It is the south of Marinduque, west of Masbate, east of Mindoro, and north
of the Panay islands.

9. This province is one of the largest in Southern Luzon. It is bounded by Aurora on the north; Camarines
Sur in the south; Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna and Batangas on the west, Camarines
Norte and Camarines Sur on the southeast.
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10. This province occupies the eastern portion of the whole Mindoro Island, which lies off the southwest
coast of Luzon. It is bounded on the north by the Verde Island and Verde Passage, on the east by Maestro
del Campo Island and the Tablas Strait, on the south by Semirara Island and on the west by Occidental
Mindoro.

REFERENCES

https://ncr.emb.gov.ph/regionalprofile/#:~:text=The%20region%20lies%20along%20the,Valley%2C
%20and%20the%20Laguna%20Lowlands.

https://calabarzon.denr.gov.ph/index.php/about-us/regional-profile#:~:text=It%20consists%20mostly
%20of%20moderately,land%20area%20of%20the%20CALABARZON.

https://www.dti.gov.ph/regions/region-4a/

https://region4b.nia.gov.ph/content/overview#:~:text=It%20is%20one%20of%20the,and%20seaweed
%20in%20the%20country.

https://mimaropa.denr.gov.ph/index.php/about-us/regional-profile