About this guideAbout this guide

Town shapes

Boundaries: faeldon/philippines-json-maps (MIT), from altcoder/philippines-psgc-shapefiles; PSGC codes and names by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Land height

Produced using Copernicus WorldDEM-30 © DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved. The organisations in charge of the Copernicus programme by law or by delegation do not incur any liability for any use of the Copernicus WorldDEM-30.

Seafloor

GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group 2026 (2026). The GEBCO_2026 Grid - a continuous terrain model for oceans and land at 15 arc-second intervals. doi:10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa. Not for navigation: the GEBCO Grid should not be used for navigation or any purpose relating to safety at sea.

Vegetation and towns

© ESA WorldCover project 2021 / Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2021) processed by ESA WorldCover consortium. Zanaga, D. et al. (2022) ESA WorldCover 10 m 2021 v200, doi:10.5281/zenodo.7254221.

Reefs and shallows

Not used. The only no-login route (the public WFS) is covered by the Atlas Terms of Use, which prohibit automated retrieval; a regional download needs a free Atlas account. If added later: Allen Coral Atlas maps, bathymetry and map statistics are © 2018-2023 Allen Coral Atlas Partnership and Arizona State University and licensed CC BY 4.0.

Context land/sea colour

NASA images by Reto Stöckli, based on data from NASA and NOAA (NASA Earth Observatory Blue Marble; served by NASA EOSDIS GIBS)

Context height (land + seafloor)

GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group 2026 (2026). The GEBCO_2026 Grid - a continuous terrain model for oceans and land at 15 arc-second intervals. doi:10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa. Not for navigation.

Area land colour (satellite)

Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX IT Services GmbH (contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2016)

Photo credits

• Rows of oil palms on the plain at Barangay Sagpangan, AborlanJason Houston for USAID, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Fish cages with small huts floating on calm open water off DumaranTroy Kolokoy, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• The town of Culion on its shore, seen from a hillside above, with the islands of the Calamianes across the waterMarsmux, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• An outrigger boat moored on the still, glassy sea off Roxas in the evening lightKingnaharry, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• A Palawan hornbill, black with a white tail and a heavy pale bill, perched in a treeMicluna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• A Calamian deer, found only on the islands of the Calamianes, standing in dry grassRatioTile, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• A Palawan pangolin, its overlapping keratin scales covering its back and tailShukran888, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• A binturong, or bearcat, resting along a branch with its long prehensile tail hangingRamon FVelasquez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• A male Palawan peacock-pheasant, its raised crest and metallic blue-green back catching the lightRanieljosecastaneda, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Coconut palms leaning over a white-sand beach and clear shallows in BalabacCris Tagupa, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Forested limestone islands off El Nido from above, with boats anchored over the reef in a sheltered coveAlejandro Luengo, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Coron from the air: forested limestone islands, turquoise lagoons and boats moored between themFlorian Delée, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Stone archway of Fort Cuyo framing the wooden doors of Saint Augustine Parish, dated Ano 1622Carlito Palatino, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Sunset over the jetty and anchored outrigger boats on Onuk Island, Balabac, with a sandbar exposed at low tideHanna Zapant, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• White sand and clear turquoise water framed by palm fronds on the quiet side of Onuk Island, BalabacHanna Zapant, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• A flowering tree beside the ruined stone watchtower of Taytay's Fort of Santa Isabel, with the sea and distant islands behindVyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Aerial view of a white sandbar fringed by turquoise shallows off North Cay Island, Busuanga, with a moored outrigger boat and forested islands beyondpablosievert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Clear shallow water over a sandy beach at Capusan, Cuyo, with the town and a ferry moored along the shoreline at dawnLuzViMindaLife, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Distant view of Mt. Mantalingahan's ridge rising over forested lowlandsAlastair Robinson, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain, license
• Forested limestone cliff of Lipuun Point with cave openings and moored boats at the Tabon Caves shorelineAlexcooper1, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Alimanguan beach in San Vicente from the air: white sand, clear shallows and a palm-covered headlandMichael Maga-ao, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Flock of terns over a white sandbar and turquoise shallows at Tubbataha Reefs Natural ParkRon Van Oers / UNESCO, CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• The cave mouth of the underground river below a forested limestone cliff, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National ParkDavid Milmont, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Visitors in a paddle boat at the mouth of the Puerto Princesa Underground River, under a forested limestone cliffElaine Ore, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Sunset over the sea from Nacpan Beach, a small island in silhouette offshoreGiuliano Gabella, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Nacpan Beach from the air: a long curve of pale sand and coconut palms beside turquoise water, El NidoRafael Loreto, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Outrigger boat anchored in the turquoise water of Big Lagoon, enclosed by tall green limestone cliffs on Miniloc IslandMarciano Villavito, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Close view of a reticulated giraffe's head and patterned neck against green foliage on Calauit Islandlumoplank, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Zebras grazing on a wide green lawn edged by trees at Calauit Safari ParkJordan Balintac, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• A Calamian deer, the endemic deer of the Calamian Islands, crossing a grassy clearing at CalauitBien02, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Giraffes and zebras grazing together beneath a broad tree, with green hills behind, at Calauit Safari ParkHeigen Villacarlos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Two reticulated giraffes on open grassland under a clear sky at Calauit Safari Park, BusuangaJohn Michael Tadeo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• The west lobe of Twin Lagoon on Coron Island, still dark water enclosed by tall limestone cliffsPatrickroque01, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Clear green water over a shallow rocky bottom at the foot of the karst cliffs in Twin Lagoon우한길(HK Woo), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Wooden ladder over the limestone wall between the two halves of Twin Lagoon, above pale turquoise waterSailko, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Outrigger boats moored on still water beneath sheer grey limestone walls at Twin Lagoon, Coron IslandAndré Héroux, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, license
• Outrigger boats in the turquoise cove between limestone cliffs at Kayangan Lake, with the hills of Busuanga beyondCarla Cervantes, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Karst islets in the cove below the Kayangan Lake viewpoint, framed by trees on the ridge, Coron IslandM Becher, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license
• Limestone islets above the turquoise cove below the Kayangan Lake viewpoint, with outrigger boats moored along the shore, Coron IslandGiuliano Gabella, via Unsplash, Unsplash License, license