Philippine’s Physical Landscape

Mayon volcano eruption.

If selecting a Philippines retirement, a retiree should develop a good understanding of the Philippines physical landscape. The Philippines physical landscape provides both opportunities for a nice retirement lifestyle but also carries certain risks. However, these risks can be pretty much minimized with careful planning.

Philippine’s Physical Landscape: Location and Geology

The Republic of the Philippines is an archipelago located off the eastern coast of Southeast Asia. It sits on top of the Philippines tectonic plate which stretches out to the east of the country and converges with the Pacific tectonic plate.

The boundary of the two plates create much of the geologic forces that created the Philippines islands. The heavier Pacific tectonic plate is forced below the lighter Philippines plate. This process is called subduction and creates the Marianas Trench.

As the Pacific plate dives beneath the Philippines plate, it also deforms and uplifts the Philippines plate and is the primary force which created the Philippines archipelago. At the same time, the subducting Pacific plate is heated by the earth’s interior and begins to melt. This molten material fuels volcanic activity across the archipelago. As a result, the Philippine’s physical landscape is also marked by many volcanoes, some of which are active.

If considering a Philippines retirement, one of the risks that a retiree should be aware of is the possibility of volcanic activity. While the actual risk is probably no more or less than the risk of volcanism in the northwestern United States, it is something to keep in mind. While volcanoes are common throughout the islands, they are not all active and some actually make for a pleasant retirement location due to the higher elevation and cooler climate.

Sunset over Camiguan Beach.

At the same time, the merging of the tectonic plates does create some earthquake activity as well. Susceptibility to earthquakes varies from location to location throughout the archipelago. If building or purchasing a home, this might be something to consider as well. Again, the level of risk is probably in the same ballpark as living on America’s west coast.

The Philippines physical landscape consists of over 7,100 islands and offers the retiree an abundance of beaches and ocean recreation spots and your greatest risk here is probably getting a sunburn. Ocean recreation ranges from scuba diving, snorkeling, jetskiing, surfing, to the more relaxing beach combing.

With a little selectivity in choosing a location for your retirement destination, living abroad in the Philippines can be a relatively pleasant one as far as geologic activity is concerned.

Philippine’s Physical Landscape: Geographic Regions

The Philippines landscape is divided into three island regions. To the north, the island of Luzon is the country’s largest island, the center of the Luzon island group, and the location of the capital city of Manila.

The Visayas are a group of islands that lie in the central part of the Philippines archipelago to the south of Luzon. From an economic perspective, the most important island in the Visayas is Cebu, where Metro Cebu, the second largest city in the country is found.

The Mindanao island group lies the furthest south. Mindanao is the largest island where Davao, the country’s third largest city, is located. The Philippines physical landscape thus offers the retiree three separate regions, each with a modern urban center if that is your preference for a retirement destination.

Heavy monsoon rains in Boracay.

Philippine’s Physical Landscape: Climate

The climate of the Philippines is characterized by a rainy season and a dry season. The monsoon climate which affects most of South and Southeastern Asia bring a dry season during winter months (December to April), when cold dry air from the Asian continent moves out to sea. During the summer months, the monsoon air mass reverses and warm moist maritime air flows onto Asia and brings heavy rains. May to October brings heavy rains to the Philippines physical landscape.

In addition to the influence of the monsoon, the northern parts of the Philippines lies in the path of regular typhoon (hurricane) activity. Typhoon season falls during the months of July through October. The southern Philippines pretty much lie outside of the typhoon belt.

The major climatic risks for the retiree are the occasional typhoons and occasional mudslides or flooding associated with the heavy rains. It does make sense to inquire about these risks in selecting a home when you retire overseas.

While the average climatic condition is hot and humid, at higher elevations the average temperature drops significantly. The city of Baguio, located in the mountains of Luzon is a popular destination for retirees preferring a cooler climate.

Philippines tarsier, a unique wildlife resource.

Philippine’s Physical Landscape: Resources

The Philippine’s landscape is rich in a variety of resources, but these have not been fully developed. The country is dependent on oil imports at the present and the cost of oil products reflects the global price for oil. As the country begins to develop its energy resources and grows less dependent on imported oil, energy costs are likely to become more stable.

Alternative energy sources such as natural gas, geothermal energy, wind energy, and hydroelectric power hold much potential for making the country more self-sufficient with respect to energy. Exploration for oil in the southern waters of the country is underway as well. For the present however, retirees can expect the price of fuel to reflect global pricing rather than lower costs associated with other commodities found naturally within the country.

The country also boasts rich wildlife resources which contributes to the development of an ecotourism industry. An amateur naturalist will find  diverse wildlife from the tropical rainforests of the Philippines to the clear waters just off the coast of the country’s white sand beaches.

The country also has a wealth of mineral resources. The metallic minerals such as copper and gold, are actively mined and there remains much potential for nonmetallic minerals such as salt and gypsum to be mined for future development.

The Philippines physical landscape is rich in volcanic soils for agriculture, but to date most of the production is located on Luzon. What is produced ends up in local markets and there is little surplus for export. Until sufficient effort is made to develop the country’s full agricultural potential, the country finds itself having to import rice and other food commodities. If the country is able to resolve its internal conflicts and make a sufficient investment in regions outside of Luzon, the country has the potential to become a major food exporting country again.

The country is self sufficient with respect to many crops, and the retiree will find food prices to be very affordable. For other crops such as rice however, because the country is dependent on imports, prices will reflect the global market and tend to be higher in cost. A handful of agricultural products such as copra, sugar, and rubber are produced in large enough quantities to become an export industry.

Philippines Physical Landscape: Summary 

A Philippines retirement provides the retiree with a range of physical and climatic types to select from ranging from tropical beaches to cool mountain getaways. Parts of the country are susceptible to environmental risks such as volcanic activity, earthquakes, and hurricanes. Depending on where one chooses to live, a retiree should be conscious of these potential risks and be prepared. The risk level is probably similar to the American west coast for volcanic activity and earthquakes and similar to the American southeast coast for hurricanes. If you remain concious of these environmental hazards, the Philippines can be one of the best places to retire in Southeast Asia for the typical American expatriate.

The low cost of living in the Philippines is to some degree tied to the country’s ability to produce many goods locally. Major exceptions are rice and oil which must be imported and reflect the higher global market prices.

Overall, the country does receive good marks as a retirement destination, particularly for those who prefer a more beach oriented retirement, but a half point is shaved off for some of the environmental risks and heavy dependence on oil imports and an energy infrastructure that remains vulnerable to the rise and fall of the global energy market.

Retiree’s Rating of the Philippines Physical Landscape: 4.5/5.0

(Photos by: EarthLogWX,  CleverYetClueless, WiliHybrid, NotEverythingisaCrisis)

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