IV.

Site Analysis
A. Philippines General Climate and Vulnerability to Disasters
The Philippines' exposure to disasters is to a significant extent due to the country's geographical and physical characteristics (CDRC, 1992). It is the worlds largest archipelago
composed of more than 7,100 islands. It lies along the Western Pacific Basin, the worlds busiest typhoon belt, with the average of 20 typhoons hitting the country each year. The country is
further part of the Circum-Pacific seismic belt and lies in between two major tectonic plates, whose movements create mountain ranges, islands, volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis. El
Nio occurrences induce drought in many parts of the Philippines, regularly posing a serious problem in agricultural production and potable water supply.
Climate- and weather-related hazards, in particular, refer to the direct and indirect effects of observed changes and/or projected deviations from present-day conditions of natural
climate events (such as increases and decreases in precipitation and temperature); and impacts of changes in the frequencies and occurrences of extreme weather/climate events (such as
tropical cyclones, droughts, and El Nio and La Nia events).
The term typhoon is used to refer to all kinds of tropical cyclones, of which there are four kinds. These are tropical depressions (<17 m/s), tropical storm (18-33 m/s), typhoons (34-64 m/s)
and super-typhoons (>65 m/s). In general, typhoons are considered extreme weather events.
Geophysical events are destructive phenomena. However, these are part of the normal functioning of our dynamic planet. These so called hazards are due to naturally occurring
processes in the earth's interior.
Four hazards are considered under this category: Earthquakes, earthquake-induced landslides, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. A natural process that is hazardous is the movement
of lithospheric plates (the solid crust and a few kilometers of the upper mantle), which causes the tectonic earthquakes. US Geological Survey defines the term earthquake as "both sudden
slip on a fault, and the resulting ground shaking and radiated seismic energy caused by the slip, or by volcanic or magmatic activity, or other sudden stress changes in the earth (i.e. event by
manmade explosions)".
Furthermore, the resulting ground motion due to an earthquake produces another natural hazard such as landslides and tsunamis. Landslide is the downslope movement of soil and/or
rock. Tsunami is a sea wave of local or distant origin that results from large-scale seafloor displacements associated with large earthquakes, major submarine slides, or exploding volcanic
islands. One other example of a hazard is the ascent of molten material called magma beneath the earth's surface, which results to eruptions of a volcano. A volcano is a vent at the Earth's
surface through which magma (molten rock) and associated gases erupt, and also the cone built by effusive and explosive eruptions.

This map can be correlated to the map of landslides in the sense that areas
with steeper slopes are expected to be more at risk to landslides. It has
been hypothesized that the presence of forest systems, although beneficial
in preventing excess runoff and flash floods during a typhoon, may actually
contribute to the occurrence of landslides due to the sheer weight of the
vegetation.

Comparing the map of groundwater availability to the map of risk to El Nio

(shown in the next page), shows that areas in Mindanao which are most at
risk to induced drought actually possess productive aquifers that can
possibly mitigate the effects of El Nio.

The top 20 provinces at risk are:

1. Albay
2. Pampanga
3. Ifugao
4. Sorsogon
5. Biliran
6. Rizal
7. Northern Samar
8. Cavite
9. Masbate
10. Laguna
11. Batangas
12. Sulu
13. Western Samar
14. Nueva Ecija
15. Tarlac
16. Pangasinan
17. Basilan
18. Metro Manila
19. Camarines Sur
20. La Union

The top 20 provinces at risk to

typhoons are:
1. Cagayan
2. Albay
3. Ifugao
4. Sorsogon
5. Kalinga
6. Ilocos Sur
7. Ilocos Norte
8. Camarines Norte
9. Mountain Province
10. Camarines Sur

The maps of areas at risk to earthquakes and earthquakeinduced landslides have certain areas of Central to Northern
Luzon and Eastern Mindanao in common. However, there are
areas like Bukidnon and Lanao that have a high risk to
landslides but a low risk to earthquakes, indicating that there
must be other factors contributing to the occurrence of landslides
in these areas. Areas at risk to both tsunamis and volcanic
eruptions include the northwest to southeast diagonal across RP.
Given this similarity, the identification of factors that can correlate
volcanic eruptions and tsunamis can be subjected to further
study.
The Geophysical Disaster Risk Map represents the sum
of the normalized, provincialized risks to earthquakes,
earthquake-induced shallow landslides, tsunamis and volcanoes.
In general, Central Luzon and Eastern Mindanao are the highranking areas.

B. Macroclimate Analysis
Santa Rosa, Laguna
Santa Rosa's climate is classified as tropical and is relatively dry from November to April and wet during the rest of the year. This location is classified as Aw by Kppen and Geiger.
The temperature here averages 27.1 C. The average annual rainfall is 1914 mm. (Graphs from http://en.climate-data.org/location/1968/)

Precipitation is the lowest in February, with an average of 17 mm. Most of the

precipitation here falls in August, averaging 322 mm.

At an average temperature of 29.0 C, May is the hottest month of the year. January is
the coldest month, with temperatures averaging 25.5 C.

Between the driest and wettest months, the difference in precipitation is 305 mm.
Throughout the year, temperatures vary by 3.5 C.

C. Microsite Analysis

Sun Rays Study of the Site (January 29, 2016). Source: http://www.sunearthtools.com/dp/tools/pos_sun.php

Sun Path Diagram (2016). Source: http://solardat.uoregon.edu/download/temp/31015058.pdf

Shadow Study of the Site (January 29, 2016). Source: http://www.sunearthtools.com/dp/tools/pos_sun.php

Proposed Site.