The document discusses the national territory of the Philippines according to its constitution. It includes land, water, and air domains. There have been disputes over islands in the South China Sea claimed by several Asian countries, making territorial rights an important issue. The Philippine government has increased its territorial claim to include the Kalayaan Islands based on the archipelago doctrine which defines its territorial waters as extending 12 miles from its outermost islands. The document also describes the topography of the Philippines, including its mountain ranges, volcanoes, and other physical features across its islands.

1. National Territory

2. As embodied in the
Constitution, the Philippine
national territory embraces
LAND, WATER, and AERIAL
DOMAINS.

3. In view of the series of land claims
on the cluster of islands in the
South China Sea by neighboring
Asian countries such as Vietnam,
China, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the
Philippines, the concept national
territory has become a crucial
issue.

4. The Philippine lawmakers, for
one, rallied on the specific
definitions of the country’s
territorial rights.

5. As a consequence, the
Philippine area of jurisdiction
has been increased with the
government’s territorial claim
to the Kalayaan (Spratly)
Islands, considered part of
Palawan.

6. This is based in the
archipelago doctrine that
draws straight baselines
joining the outermost islands
of the archipelago.

7. Archipelago Doctrine
O The proponent was Arturo M.
Tolentino, a Filipino
lawmaker, and it won general
acceptance from other
nations through the 1982
treaty (United Nations
Convention on the Law of the
Sea).

9. On the country’s territorial
waters, the traditional belt
of safety around the country
has been widened from 3
miles to 12 miles.

12. TOPOGRAPHY
the study and mapping of the
features on the surface of
land, including natural
features such as mountains
and rivers and constructed
features such as highways and
railroads

13. Topographically, the Philippines is a
land of rugged physical features. Its
terrain is a combination of a series
of mountain ranges, hills, volcanoes,
plains, and waterfalls. The country’s
landforms are interspersed with
rivers, bays, and an extensive
coastline. Along its seacoasts are
numerous bays, harbors, and gulfs.

14. A. Landforms
Luzon has the longest
continuous ranges in the
Philippines. It has 3 large
mountain ranges:
a) Caraballo del Sur
b) Caraballos Occidentales
c) Sierra Madre

15. a) Caraballo del Sur
Has its highest peak in the
borders of Abra, Ilocos
Norte, and Cagayan

17. b) Caraballos Occidentales
Split into the Cordillera
Norte and Cordillera Central
and traverse the region west
of the Cagayan River

19. c) Sierra Madre
Also known as Pacific Coast
Range, Sierra Madre crosses
the island from Baler, Aurora
to Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya,
and Cagayan.

21. The four distinct ranges of
Mindanao:
a) Surigao
b) Butuan
c) Central Western Range
d) Western Range

22. a) Surigao Range: traverse the
contours of the Pacific Coast

23. a) Butuan Range: extends to the
south and forms the watershed of
the Agusan River (E) and Pulangui
River (W)

24. c) Central Western Range:
Mt. Apo is the highest of the central
western ranges. It is the highest point
in the Philippines (9,692 ft)

25. d) Western Range: originates west
of Iligan Bay and ends on the shore
of Basilan Strait

26. Mountain range in the
Visayas:
a) Negros Range
b) Panay Island (separates
Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan)

27. VOLCANOES
a) Iraya in Batanes Island

28. b) Taal in Batangas
Smallest in the World

29. c) Banahaw in Quezon Province

30. d) Mayon in Albay, Bicol

31. Most active and known as
the country’s most perfectly
cone-shaped volcano.

33. e) Makaturing in Lanao

34. f) Apo in Davao

35. g) Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin

36. h) Pinatubo in Zambales

37. i) Mt. Pulag in Benguet
Luzon’s highest peak and the country’s
second highest.