Social Studies VI(Mrs. Jennifa Villagracia-Ejedio)

Handout for Grade VI

(Lesson 2) -Geographical Location of the Philippines

Read:

To determine the exact location of a place such as the Philippines. It is important to review the lines found on the globe or on the map. The horizontal and vertical lines will guide the map reader or the globe user in locating places.

Geography – is a study of the world.

Map – is the flat representation of the world or a certain place.

Globe – is the spherical model of the world.

Parallels or latitudes – which the equator at 0° latitude, divides the globe into Northern and Southern Hemispheres. North and south of the equator are horizontal lines parallels. Latitude lines or parallels - measure distance North and South of latitude. The lines go east and west around the globe.

Lines of Longitude or meridians – is the vertical lines running North to South.

Equator – known as parallel of latitude or imaginary line of latitude because it is halfway between or equally distant from the North and South Poles. It has a measurement of 0°.

Hemisphere – each part of the earth or half of the sphere.

Northern Hemisphere – the half between the equator and North Pole.

Southern Hemisphere – the half between the equator and South Pole.

Prime Meridian – is at 0° longitude divides the globe into the Eastern and Western Hemisphere and all the vertical lines end up either in the North Pole or in the South Pole.

The Prime Meridian and the International Date Line are bases in using the lines of longitude. From the Prime Meridian (o° longitude) going right until the International Date Line is the Eastern Hemisphere while the Western Hemisphere starts from the Prime Meridian going left until the International Date Line. By international agreement, the IDL sets the time and date. Countries in the East have advanced date than the countries in the West. This means that when it is morning at the 90° E, it is night time at the 90° W.

Grid – is a network of evenly spaced  horizontal (parallels) and vertical (meridians) bars or lines for locating points when placed over a map or when the lines of latitude and lines of longitude meet. The grid is important because it gives the exact location of a particular place that the reader wants to locate. The largest grid in vertical lines that covers a World map are called Meridians of Longitudes. The horizontal lines are called Parallels of Latitudes. By tracing these lines, these grid help locate things on a map. The exact location of a place is generally indicated by putting the lines of latitudes and longitude together.

Observe how the degrees of the latitudes progress as they move farther North or South from the equator which is at 0° latitude. Both the North Pole and South Pole are found at 90° latitude, respectively. Similarity, the lines of longitude or meridians progress as they move farther East or West from the Prime Meridian (0°).

The Philippines is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Cancer, specifically, between 4° 23’ and 21’ N (North latitude) and between 116° and 127° E (East longitude). If you shade the spot where these two lines cross, you will get the exact location of the Philippines.

Location of the Philippines

        The Philippines is located a little above the equator. It lies 966 km. off the southeast Coast of Asia. It is located between latitude 4°23’N and between longitude 116°E and 127°E. it is bounded on the mouth by the Bashi /channel in the South by the Sulu and Celebes Sea, in the East by the Pacific Ocean and on the West by the South China Sea.

          It is 1,150 miles (1,850km.?) long and 680 miles (1,060km.) wide. Y’Ami of the Batanes group is the Northern most island, being 97 km. from Taiwan, and Saluag of the Sebutu group is the Southern most island, being 32 km. from North Borneo (Sabah).

          The location of the Philippines can be determined in two different ways: Vicinal location or by its insular location.

Vicinal Location

-       The location of a specified place within a limited or confined neighborhood.

-       Neighboring countries:

North -       Taiwan, China, and Japan

West -         Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia

South -        Borneo, Brunei, and Indonesia

East -          Guam, Marianas, Micronesia, and Palau

Insular Location

-       The location that does not have a common boundary with her neighbours or this is surrounded by big bodies of water.

-       It is bounded on the mouth by the Bashi channel in the South by the Sulu and Celebes Sea, in the East by the Pacific Ocean and on the West by the South China Sea.

Significance of the Location

-       Ideal distribution center of goods within the region: commercial vessel and air transportation - meaning ground of diverse cultures.

-       Rich in natural resources: water and land resources

-       Protecting the territorial boundaries : ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY and PNP

Dear grade VI students,

I am  requiring all of you to update with all the important current news of what is going on around us especially in our WELL-BUILD CITY (ZAMBOANGA CITY) . I will focus more on the latest issues: social, political, and including calamities that are happening in Luzon area that keeps on going, Pork Barrel Scam- Mrs. Janeth Napoles, and the ZAMBOANGA SIEGE.

Social Studies is a study of social relationships and the functioning of society and usually made up of courses in history, government, economics, civics, sociology, geography, and anthropology.

We Zamboangenous should increasingly alarmed by the situation and the growing needs of people caught up with violence, concerned for the most vulnerable, especially the well-being of women and children, concern over the plight of those displaced, many of whom are struggling to survive and all humanitarian workers should provide and support to the victims of violence are protected and respected, and their safety is ensured by all actors.

Let‘s work hand in hand in plight of what Zamboanga Siege happened and we should faced this with dazzling results with God’s help and power.

God bless us all….

Prepared by: Mrs. Jennifa Villagracia-Ejedio

Handout for Grade VI (Lesson 3) – The National Territory and Its Boundaries

Territory – is one of the important elements of a state.

The Philippine Territory or National Territory as provided in Article I of the 1987 Constitution comprises the following:

     Article I of the 1987 Philippine Constitution defines the territory of the Philippines as follows:

     “The national territory comprises the Philippine Archipelago, with all the islands and waters embraced therein, and all other territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction, consisting of its terrestrial, fluvial and aerial domain, including its territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas. The waters, around, between and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breath and dimensions, shall form part of the internal waters of the Philippines.

The National territory of the Philippines consists of:

1. The Philippine Archipelago with all the islands and waters embraced therein. This includes the three main groups of islands: Luzon in the North, Mindanao in the South, and Visayas in the center;

2. All others territories over which the Philippines has sovereignty or jurisdiction;

3. The terrestrial fluvial, and aerial domains including the territorial sea, the seabed, the subsoil, the insular shelves, and other submarine areas; and

4. The internal waters which consist of the waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago, regardless of their breath and dimensions.

The Territories of the Philippines

The following areas are parts of the national territory:

1. The territorial sea – is that part of the sea which extends 12 nautical miles or 19 km from the low-watermark.

2. The seabed or sea floor – it includes the land that holds the sea including its minerals and natural resources.

3. The subsoil – it includes everything beneath the surface of the soil including the minerals and natural resources.

4. The insular shelves or continental shelves – they refer to the submerged portions of a continent or offshore island which slopes seaward until the great ocean depths is reached.

5. Other submarine areas – they include the areas under the territorial sea such as trench, basin, shoal, reef, deep, and bank.

6. The inland or internal waters – these waters are parts of the sea within the territory of the state.

7. The aerial domain – this is the vast space above the territorial land and sea.

Territorial Treaties and Laws

The country’s territory under the International Law is defined and limited not by its self-serving claim as to what it covers but by some treaties, laws, doctrine and decrees which are as follows:

1. Treaty of Paris – this agreement was signed by the Spaniards and the Americans on December 10, 1898. Spain agreed to give up the Philippines in exchange for $20,000,000.

2. Treaty of Washington – this agreement was signed by the Spain and the United States on November 7, 1900 emphasizing the inclusion of Cagayan de Sulu and the islands of Sibutu, Tawi-Tawi as part of the Philippine territory.

3. US- Great Britain Treaty – The United States and Great Britain signed this treaty on January 2, 1930 which includes Turtle Islands and the Mangsee Island near Borneo became part of the Philippine territory.

4. Constitution of 1935 – the Constitution claims that Batanes is part of the Philippine territory.

5. Archipelago Doctrine – The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) was signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica on December 10, 1982 by the representatives of the participating countries. According to Arturo Tolentino, former senator and assemblyman, the benefits the Philippines derived from the convention were:

5. a. Archipelagic Doctrine means that an archipelago shall be regarded as a single unit. The waters around, between, and connecting the islands of the archipelago form of the internal water of the state. The state has exclusive sovereignty over them.

5. b. The Philippines shall own minerals, oil, and living resources to the waters, seabed, subsoil of the archipelago, the 200-mile exclusive economic zone around the islands, and the continental shelf even beyond 200 miles from the shore.

5.c. The waters under the jurisdiction of the Philippines including the 200-mile exclusive economic zone shall increase.

5.d. The Philippines shall be accepted by the international community as a single political, economic, and geographical unit with no international waters separating the islands.

6. Law of the Sea of 1982 – The former limit of three miles from the shorelines was extended to twelve miles. It also extended the territorial sea of the country. This is also provided for an exclusive economic zone (EZZ) which is 200 miles from the shorelines. This zone can be explored by the country by cultivating, managing and profiting from its natural resources.

This Law of the Sea may endanger the country because some of internal waters of the Philippines may become part of the international waters.

7. Republic Act No. 3046 – This law was approved on June 17, 1961 which states that Philippines has the sovereignty and jurisdiction over the bodies of water and islands that are within our territorial limits based on Article III of Treaty of Paris.

Other Territories of the Philippines

1. Sabah or North Borneo – is part of Philippine territory based on the Republic Act no. 5446, this was approved on September 8, 1968 through President Ferdinand Marcos.

2. Kalayaan Group of Islands in Spratly – this consists of small islands found in the middle of South China and Western part of Palawan. Spratly islands is part of Philippine territory under the declaration made formal and legal under Presidential Decree (PD) no. 1596. This is a consequence of the discovery of this place made by Tomas Cloma, a Filipino navigator, and his associates and they identified it as freedom Land.

The Importance of the National Territory or Philippine Territory

1. Philippines is rich in natural resources: water forms, landforms and submarine areas where all citizens of the nation gave more vital in their lives.

2. Filipinos are free to go anywhere within our boundaries due to our watchers (Air and Land Militaries).

3. It also serves as a permanent home for all of us that we may avoid trespassing on other territories.

Protecting and Defending the National Territory

1. proper use of water and land resources

2. following the laws with regard to the participation of the foreigner in the economic development of the country.

3. government should look into the proper use of our resources, maintaining peace and order in the country and developing friendship among other nations to avoid disputes and war.

4. AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines): Philippine Army, Philippine Navy and Philippine Air Force should uphold and defend the country against all sorts of disorder and troubles.

Prepared by: Mrs. Jennifa Villagracia-Ejedio