Lesson 3  Theories on the Origin of the Philippines

At the end of the lesson, the learners are able to:

• Explain the origin of the Philippines based on the theories of Volcanism and Continental Drift

There are many myths and legends about the origin of the Philippines. However, several theories that scientifically explain how our country was formed were also formulated.

CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

This theory was based on the hypothesis of Alfred Wegener, a noted metaphysicist and meteorologist. According to him, about 200 million years ago, a supercontinent called Pangaea existed. Due to the movement of

Earth’s crust, Pangaea was divided into two smaller continents—Laurasia in the Northern Hemisphere and Gondwanaland in the Southern Hemisphere. Due to the continuous movements of the two continents, the present

continents were formed.

Wegener presented the following pieces of evidence to support his theory: similar mountain and rock formations, same species of animal fossils, and the almost identical shorelines of South America and Africa. 

VOLCANIC THEORY 

According to Bailey Willis, an American geologist, several earthquakes and volcanic eruptions under the ocean took place 225 million years ago. Due to the continuous volcanic eruptions, the volcanic materials caused the splitting of rocks and the formation of islands in the Philippines. The old volcanic materials found in Baguio City were considered pieces of evidence of Willis’ theory. 

The location of the Philippines within the Pacific Ring of Fire supported this theory. The Ring of Fire is a zone  of volcanic activity surrounding the Pacific Ocean. There are about 450 volcanoes around the region which comprise

75% of the volcanoes in the world. The Philippines has 23 active volcanoes which explains why earthquakes occur frequently in the country.

TECTONIC PLATES THEORY

Based on the theory of Bailey Willis, the Earth’s crust is divided into big and heavy tectonic plates. These plates continue to move around the very hot magma. When these plates collide with one another, mountains and

volcanoes are formed. The movements of these tectonic plates also cause earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the creation of mountains and other rock formations.

LAND BRIDGE THEORY

According to Austrian geologist Eduard Suess, there existed land bridges that connected some parts of the world such as South America, South Africa, India, Australia, and Antarctica. He also said that these places were part of Gondwanaland in the southern part of Pangaea. He used the plant and animal fossils which were found in the Philippines and its neighboring countries in Asia as evidence. According to him, the land under the South China Sea and mainland Asia is only 240 ft deep, and that the elevated portions were formerly land bridges. The land bridges existed between Taiwan and Batanes, Borneo and Palawan, and New Guinea and Mindanao.

Dr. Fritjof Voss disproved this theory by saying that the Philippines was never a part of mainland Asia. He said that the land under the South China Sea emerged from the sea due to the movement of the crust in the Pacific.

Answer the following questions:

Analyzing

1. How do the theories about the origin of the Philippines explain our present environmental problems?

2. Why are most volcanoes found in the Pacific Ring of Fire?

3. How can we relate the frequent earthquakes that are experienced in the different parts of the world to Volcanism Theory?