Air Force the Official Service Journal - Air Force Historical Studies ...

The economic system of the Philippines in peacetime
was based on a simple agricultural life. Most of the cultiv.rtcd
area, about I) percent of the total land area, \\'as
devoted to food crops, principally rice. ~ lctliods of cultivation
were pruuit ivc, although the lfugao rice terraces in
northern Luzou \I ere convidcrcd one of the grclt cnginlTing
feats of the world. Corn, coconuts, sllg:lr, hemp .md tob.icco
also were grOlnl in qu.mt itv.
L.ittle 11lalluLletmillg, as we k no«: it, existed in the
Ph ilrppincs before thc \I;Ir. "'hat there \\as cousistccl mu inlv
in the proces,ing of export crops, and hanelierafts such as
cmbroidering, hat-nlaking, cigar-making and clothing production
for home couvumptiou. Othcr industrics included
mining, lumhcring and a little fishing.
forest covers about CJ+ percent of the Philippmc land
area. Still present in 1111leh of the rough, uuinhubitcd terrain
is prim cva] rain forcst wh ich gellcralh' is made np of
bill trees witl: a clcn «, overhead ca IlOpy I ()O to 140 feet II igh.
This foliagc ,hilt, out the sun .md makes the fore,t floor
dark and damp.
In m;III\' 'lTtions, sccollCl-grOllth jungle of \';lrying hcight
.md clcnvitv or grass covers tcrritorv once under cult iv.i tiuu
or cut OILT bv thc nut ivcs. ,\t .rlt itudcs above 3. :;()O fcet
may be found llIOSS fOlc,t wh icl, is dense and gcner:illy
e1ripping lid. On the highcr iu ounr.uu slopl's. however.
p:ll ticul.nlv ill nort lu-rn Luzou , there often arc pme xt.mcls
of pine.
~ Iangrol'e Sll'amps are Iocatccl along proteeted coavtx
lI'hich hale lo«: m udclv fl;lt LlIIds. ;\ network of ]LllTO\\',
f.urlv deep w.rtcr ch:ml;cls frcqucutlv iutcrl.iccs the S\\':llllP
:IrClS. J'\ ipa p.rhu s\\';lmps 1l1:1\' be found in the chicr. !C"
,alty :!reas bcvoud llLlll~rolC S\\':llllp,. I.:lrgc arcas of floating
gr:I'>SCS .md sedgcs ;lppcar in the interior of \ l ind.m.ro.
while extensive natural gLIs,Lmds COlTr the urc.is of le'>Ser
r.uuf.rl l Oil th.rt i-l.mcl.
The conuuou h'pc of I'h ilippiuc gu'>S is called "cogoll."
\' crv CO:Ir:«: and clcu-.c, it m.tv he .ruvwlurc from th rcc to
eigl;t fed high, \\'llcel,-up 'emergelic:' lallelillgS 111:1\' hc
made in cogon gr:lss.
There arc ]]() l:Irge :Ind cLiIE;crom wild ;lnim:I1s in tIle
fore,ts of the Philippines. LlrgC\t of the n.it ivc species i-.
the small huff.ilo, the t im.rru. cOllfined to the island of
\ Imeloro. Ollu-r he:l,ts includc wild pig" slIre\\'s, !clllms,
skunks, otters, civet catx, sqllirrels, snull \li]dcats, roc!cnls,
t.uvicr«, nlollke\'" deer. elngollg,. porcupinc-, .u«] :mll':lter,.
All]()ng tIle hirds of the l'llilippines .nc d uckx, cools, g;I1linn!cs,
nib. ,llmchircls. dOle" pigeollS, h orub ills aud xnipc-. .
.\lthongh the i,!:Ill(!,ll:lke popul.it ion gener:t!h- i, hanlllC\s,
,ome of the sn:lkes nrc clc.ullv, Chief :lInollg tlle Litter i,
the cohr:l. fnund lllosth- in riel' fields .mc] Oil the nlues of
forests. Crocodiles ofteil :IrC found in clelT rillTs .md ~reeks
inside m:mgrOl'c forc,ts.
\I:III\ 'In:dkr forc,l pes!'> arc to be :lloi(kcl, Th..v inelllde
bl.uk wiclo«: xpiclcr-. Ln:mtld:ls, scorpiom. eelltipl'de" .mt-.
\\:I'pS. l.mc] leeehe, and v.uioux hiting hilc;,>-
Philippine \'.:I!ers. hot h fre\h :mel s:ilt. :Ire rich fl,hing
p(lllnels. Common v.uict ic-: include rav-; sa\\ll,h, cel" 1I11t!rd.
SI1:lp])('r,. pom p.mos. e:ltfi,!J. Clrp :lncl ,h:1I1;,.,.
The 7Jh ~ i,Linlh cOlnpri,in~ the P1lilippinc, 1I:l\c CO:I,tline,
tot:I1ing .ihout 1 ~,O()O lnile" nc.ulv twir;: th.it of t l«
l !nitccl St:ltl">. Before the ):Ip oCCllp:diOlL !lICIT \lLTe 11
ofFici:Il port'> of cntrv in the i,hncls.\Llllil:l \1':1' the k:ldin~
port, .md l loiln next in im porlu ucc.
Princip.rl r.iilro.id line. of the Philippine, :Irc on the
i-l.mcls of Luvon, P:lll:I\' and (:c1111. Tlle m:lin linc of thl'
r:lilroad OIl [,1l/0I1 extclids -f:;c) miles frOJll S:1ll FCrJI:lndo in
I.a Ullioll Prminee to [,eg:I'pi ill i\lh:l\' Prmince. The lille
OIl P:llla\' COlllleets Iloilo :md C:lpi/; th:lt Oil Ce1111 cOllncct'>
Arg:](1 :mel Dall:lO.
The main Philippine higlmays, built hy the Insular
Covcnuucnt, form 1I0 network as those in the United State>
became the Ph ilippincs arc not industrializcd and because
much of the Island population is conccntr.rtcd OIl the coash
where \later travel is convcuicut. There were 14.~O() miles
of roads in IlHU, of which 7. :;UU mile, were desigmted first
cLIss, 4.hUU second dl\S a Ill! ~,1UU third cia'>'. Two-th ircls
of the total Inile:lge of good roads \\'LTe on Luzon. ccnterillg
.iround ~ l.uul.r.
j\S of Septelnber, ]C)41, the Philippines h.«] more than
S:; airports and Llndillg fields. Three-fourths of them were
operated b:' thc Communwculth Covcrnmcut. Although
most of the airllclds \\'LTe conuncrci.rl. the IIUnl her of military
air imtallatiom \I';IS increasing shortlv before the fall of
the Philippines. It is reasonable to a\Slllne mallY add itiou.il
faCi]ltlCS hale lxcn convtructcd hy tlic J:lp' since their
occu pa tion.
The conquest of the Philippines bv the J:lpancsc providcd
one more ch.rptcr ill the li\cly auc] chaotic historv of
the ivl.mds. i\ltho'lgh t luv have been a IncIting pot of v.ui
ous r:lecs and cultures for 111:1l1\' ccntur«:». the wlritc m.m
had bee-n cou tiu uouvlv inAllenti:'d since the 1(lth ccu turv in
shaping their dcxt iuv. 'The i,Lillcls were clivcovcrccl hv ~Ligel,
l.m in l:;~ I, colonized hI' Spun in ] :;(j:; :mel ceded to the
United St:ltes in ] ,,()S follO\\ing the Sp:mi,Ii-,'meric:m \I':Ir.
Schooled in clciuor-r.rcv under our gOI'CTlnllcnt. the PhilippillCS
were wcll on the \\:1\' to g:lining their complete iuclcpenllellce
when the [:lpS steppcd in .md h.iltccl the proce'>'.
I n our com p:ICt with the Ph il ippinc«, \\T h.«l set ]f)-fCJ :IS
tlic vc.rr ill \lhich t luv \lolllcl t:lh. their place ill the f:nllih,
of frlT u.rt ioux. De\trlletil\n of th« 1;lp and hi, pm\'lT to
\I'age w.rr will m.ikc good th.rt prOllli,c. J:
•. ' ....0'"
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SOUTH ...\
CHINA "'\
e.;;V~~> SEA \::.:: .
+-s~.Pi:' ::::::: ",.::;;;::.>: -.::..
o
RAINFALL
AND
TYPHOON PATHS
Zone r. No dry season. Maximum rainfall from November
to March
Zone 2. Two seasons. Dry in winter and spring (Dec. to
April or Moy) Wet in summer and autumn
Zone 3. No pronounced maximum rain period, but with
dry season of I to 3 months (late Jan., Feb., Mar .•
and April)
Zone 4. No pronounced maximum rain season and no dry
season
Typhoon paths. Each track line represents the average
of 25 storms
. 0'"
. ~~;:: .
OCTOBER. 1944 35