Environmental Issues in the Philippines
The Philippines 90 million people 7,104 islands Directly in the vicinity of the typhoon belt (up to 27 typhoons a year) Poverty, uneven development, weak state institutions that protect natural resources
Typhoon Frank hit the central islands of the Philippines in 2008. Pearl Suyo shares her experience of the typhoon’s effect in the city of Iloilo.
Typhoon Ondoy hit Manila in 2009. Bob Soledad shares her experience of the floods that hit Manila suburb of Marikina.
Typhoon Pepeng hit the northern Philippines in 2009. Robert Fugaban shares his experience of the devastation in Tuguegarao City.
Environmental degradation Destruction of Pollution resources Air pollution Deforestation Water pollution Mining Solid waste
Ill-planned cities have extreme traffic congestion. Traffic along EDSA, the main thoroughfare of Metro Manila.
The Philippines still relies heavily on coal and oil for electricity generation. Masinloc Coal Powerplant in Zambales on the island of Luzon provides power to Metro Manila.
Old factories along waterways still contribute greatly to air and water pollution. This factory is situated beside the Pasig River, the main river running through Metro Manila.
Destitute communities beside waterways use the river as their sewage system. Several shanties like this are found just beside the waterways that run through Metro Manila.
Despite laws to regulate it, most of the garbage in the Philippines go to landfills. This landfill, the Payatas Dumpsite in Northern Manila, is where most of the garbage goes to. Recycling and composting are still not thoroughly implemented.
Deforestation in the Philippines has dramatically decreased forest cover over the past century.
Deforestation is due to conversion of land to use for agriculture, housing or for logging purposes. Kaingin is a local term for burning down a patch of the forest to make the land fertile for farming.
Deforestation causes soil erosion. In 2005, Leyte was hit by a typhoon that caused a massive landslide. It buried the entire town of Guinsaugon, causing up to 20,000 deaths in just a week.
Mining has also increased in the Philippines.
Mining inherently disturbs ecosystems and pollutes tremendously. This open pit mine in Quezon province on the Island of Luzon extracts nickel. The pond is heavily polluted.
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