WONDERS OF PHILIPPINE ISLAND

THE RICH WONDERS OF THE PHILIPPINES

Endowed with a variety of natural wonders, the Philippines is one of the world’s most beautiful countries. Its shorelines, home for many of the world s finest white-sand beaches, are among the most beautiful in the world. Its waters are so rich it is the sanctuary of abundant colorful and rare marine life. It’s 7,107 islands, from northern Luzon to southern Mindanao abounds with spectacular and unique sites. The most famous among these spots are the St. Paul’s subterranean river system in Palawan measuring 4, 380 meters and is regarded as the longest underground river system in Southest Asia; the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, which resemble scattered chocolate drops when seen from a high elevation; and the Banaue Rice Terraces in the Ifugao province, culled in with great symmetry from the mountains some 2,000 years ago by ancient Ifugaos and dubbed as the "Eight Wonder of the World."

These natural wonders are some of the reasons that enchant many foreign tourists to the Philippines. But what really attract these foreigners in the country are the ever-smiling locals and the warm hospitality of the Filipino people.


                                                      Rice Terraces of Banaue
The Rice Terraces of Banaue are perhaps the most well know attraction in the Philippines, and no list of the Seven Wonders of the Philippines would be complete without them.. Located in central Luzon, they have been carved by local Ifugao people over the last 3,000 thousand years. When you visit, you can see terraces still being built today. The locals often describe the terraces as the largest man made structure created without forced labor. If each terrace were laid end to end, they would stretch almost 14,000 miles. They were declared a UNESCO World  Heritage site in 1995 and placed on the endangered list in 2001.


                                                      Tubbataha Reef
Located in the middle of the Sulu Sea, Tubbataha Reef is one of the largest and best preserved reef systems in the world. Actually composed to two atolls, Tubbataha is far removed from any human settlement, it is a 92 mile boat trip from the city of Puerto Princessa. The marine park covers over 968 km² and is home to over 300 coral species and 400 fish species, rivaling the diversity of the Great Barrier Reef. The few pieces of atoll which are above water are also home to a large number of seabirds. It was inscribed on the UNESCO list of World Heritage sites in 1993.

                                                      Chocolate Hills
The Chocolate Hills are located on the Island of Bohol. They are over 1,200 hills, covering over 50 km² and get their name because the grass which covers the hills turns brown during the dry season. The hills are almost all conical in shape and made of limestone. Many people have believed that they were human creations. Geologists are not entirely sure how they were created. Theories include erosion of limestone, volcanic uplift, and accretion of limestone around basalt fragments from a volcanic eruption. The government of the Philippines has declared it one of their flagship tourist destinations. The Chocolate Hills are so central to the people of Bohol, they appear on the flag of the province.

                                                      Taal Volcano
Taal volcano has a unique distinction in the world. It contains the largest island, inside of a lake, which is on an island, which is inside a lake, which is on an island. (got that?) Taal is a very active volcano which has killed over 5,000 people in recorded history. It has been named one of 16 decade volcanoes in the world worthy of special study. Inside the Taal caldera is Lake Tall, which is a 25km across. The lake is know for its high sulfur content and is also home to many endemic species of freshwater fish. Taal is only 50km from the city of Manila.


                                                                Mayon Volcano

Mayon volcano is perhaps the most perfectly shaped conic volcano in the world. It has been called by some the “Filipino Mount Fuji”. Located in south east Luzon, it is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. It has erupted close to 50 times since the year 1600, with the most recent eruption occurring in 2006. 77 people were killed in an eruption in 1993 and 75,000 people had to be evacuated from their homes during an eruption in 1984. It rises 2462 m over Legazpi City in the province of Albany.



Boracay
Boracay is a small island approximately 200 miles south of Manila and is very close to the major island of Panay. Its white sand beaches and direct flights from all over Asia, have made it one of the Philippines most popular tourist destinations. White Beach is the longest beach on Boracay and extends 4 km on west side of the islands.

THE RICHNESS OF THE PHILIPPINE SEA

More than 2,000 species of fish are found in the Philippine waters. Both the biggest and the smallest fish in the world are found in the waters of the Philippines. The whale shark (Rhineodon typus), the largest fish, weighs several tons and measures 15.24 meters or more in length when fully grown. The dwarf pygmy (Pandaka pygmaea) the smallest fish in the world is less than 10 millimeters in length. The endangered Sinarapan (listichthys luzonensis), the smallest commercial fish in the world, can also be found in Lake Buhi, in the Bicol region. Aside from fish, other marine products such as shells, crabs, shrimps, corals, pearls are so abundant in the Philippine waters. Seafood lovers will surely find their delights, fresh and reasonably priced, wherever they are in the country.

It is said that close to twenty percent of the worlds more than 60,000 species of shells can be found in the archipelago. Not surprisingly, the rarest shell (Connus gloriamaris), the smallest (Pisidum) and the largest (Tridacna gigas) shell, are all found in the Philippine waters. Philippine pearls are also considered among the finest in the worlds. The largest pearl in the world, known as the "Pearl of Allah," measuring more than 22.86 centimeters long and 12.7 centimeters in diameter and weighing 6.3 kilograms was found by a Filipino diver in the Palawan Sea. Its value was approximated at US$40-42 million as of May 1984.





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THE RICHNESS OF THE PHILIPPINE FORESTS

Do you know how rich the Philippine Forest is? Theres a lot of species still yet to discovered. 

The Philippine forests boast of its rich flora and fauna. It is a haven for almost 4,000 species of trees, about 10,000 species of flowering plants and ferns, 580 species of birds, and 25,000 species of insects. The biggest Philippine bird, Sharpe’s Crane (Cruz antigone sharpei) is almost as tall as a man. The monkey-eating eagle, found in the jungles of Mindanao is the largest eagle in the world. The Philippine Falconet (Microhierax erythrogonys), less than seven centimeters long is said to be the world’s smallest falcon. The smallest monkey in the world, the tarsius, the mouse deer, the smallest deer in the world which is located in Palawan and the Philippine tamaraw (Anoa mindorensis) of Mindoro are some of the unique animals that can only be found in the Philippine forests. The largest flower in the world, thepungapung can also be found in the Philippines. It has a diameter of 30 centimeters and grows in Mindanao’s forests. The most famous of the Philippine trees is the Narra (Pterocarpus indicus), also the Philippine national tree. Aside from its grand beauty and symmetry it is reputed for its durability, no doubt it has become a favorite material for furniture makers.

Do you have an idea how to protect our mother nature? Is there something else we can do to stop illegal and harmful activities in our forests? Theres a way we can both do in order to appreciate nature and earn something, it can be in form of money or even in form wealth referring to the benefits of having a good health and abundant flora and fauna resources. You can be engaged in outdoor activities like trekking, zip lining, rappelling and even rock climbing. Now, in your opinion how can you help your community in preserving and protecting forest and at the same time promoting the wonders of flora and fauna?

THE RICHNESS OF THE PHILIPPINE LAND

The "Pearl of the Orient", as it is popularly known throughout the world, speaks ofthe Philippines unique riches and beauty. Many times was it mentioned as the richestland in the world. Its fertile soil, capable of producing a wide variety of crops, thefavorable tropical climate envied by the westerners and the rich natural resources areendowments not enjoyed by most countries in the world. With these naturalendowments, needless to say, agriculture plays a vital role in the country’sdevelopment. Its fertile arable land is said to be at 180 million square kilometers, nearly70 percent of the total land area. Of this arable land, more than 160 million squarekilometers are forests. In Asia, the Philippines ranks third in forest reserves next toIndonesia and Japan. Unfortunately, the destruction of the rich Philippine forest, duemainly to illegal logging activities and the practice ofkaingin, has been proceeding atthe rate of 1,700,000 square kilometers per year. If this could not be prevented, at thisrate, the Philippines would be totally deforested within a few decades.

As it is situated in the earthquake belt of the Pacific, the country is rocked fromtime to time by seismic tremors and volcanic eruptions. The Philippine Fault, the biggestof its seismic faults, runs from Luzon to Mindanao. Of the more than a hundredvolcanoes in the country, 22 are said to be active. The most famous of these volcanoesare Mount Mayon in Bicol, which is known for its perfect symmetry; Taal Volcano,situated at the center of Taal Lake and reputed to be the smallest volcano on earth; andMount Pinatubo whose eruption in 1991 is deemed as the world’s worst volcaniceruption of the 20th century. It left more than one million Filipinos homeless, and itsfumes affected the weather and the ozone layer throughout the world.

The country has rich deposits of gold, silver, copper, and many other expensive metals and minerals. It has the biggest deposit of chromite, the largest deposit of nickel and one of the richest undeveloped iron ore deposits in the world. Gold, silver and other precious stones have been found all over the country in enormous amounts. The Philippine climate is one of the best tropical climates in the world. In fact, it is one place on earth where flowers bloom all year round. There are only two seasons, the dry and the wet. March to June is the dry season. It is humid but tolerable. The average daytime temperature is at 30 to 35 degrees centigrade. The wet season is from June to October. Strong winds and heavy rains visit the islands of the Philippines during this season. Being situated close to the typhoon belt, preparing for the strong wind, rain, and floods has become a way of life during the wet season. If rain is a blessing, the Philippines is one of the most blessed countries. It hold the world s record for the heaviest 24- hour rainfall of 979 millimeters experienced in Manila on October 17, 1967.