Land Use History of the Philippines

Land-use history of the Philippines from the sixteenth century to the present day is outlined on the basis of existing statistics, inventories, and other research on land use. Although it is difficult to find reliable empirical data on historical land-use changes, the major land-use trends are obvious. Population growth and economic opportunities have stimulated the conversion of forest land to other uses. Notable conversion of forest to agriculture started in the eighteenth century when the Philippines was integrated into the world economy. During this century, forest cover has continued to decline rapidly while the areas of intensive agriculture and extensive land uses have continued to increase. The apparent trends operating at the national level may, however, result from conflicting trends operating at the sub-national level. For example, in some areas urban expansion reduces agricultural land area.