Soils and the Philippine Economy

Abstract

The soil is the foundation of the human civilization. As can be seen from the ruins of ancient civilizations, areas whose people are not conscious of erosion and land degradation eventually could not support a community. The ruins that are now tourist attractions only reflect the glorious and illustrious past of what were once flourishing and economically vibrant societies. Without soils, we cannot have a thriving and a bubbling economy. The chapter begins with an introduction to the three major ecosystem functions of the soil—as a biomass producer, as a platform for human activities, and as environmental regulator for atmospheric, hydrologic, and nutrient cycles. The next two sections focus on the role of the soil as biomass producer by discussing the major rice soils of the Philippines and the soils grown to other economically important crops. This is followed by discussions on the problem soils of the Philippines, problem soils from the point of view of agricultural production or the soil as biomass producer. The figures are updated to reflect currently available data. The next section is a treatise on land evaluation based on the FAO—developed methodology of matching soil qualities and characteristics with crop requirements. The basic concept and principles are applicable for other types of human endeavors that relate to the ecological function of soil as platform for human activities. Instead of crop requirements, we match soil qualities and characteristics with the specific land use requirements (LUR) which we would like to evaluate. The last soil function as regulator of atmospheric, hydrologic, and nutrient cycles is intangible, but there are current efforts being conducted by the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) to address soil valuation and accounting. The soil is now recognized as part of the nation’s economic and environmental assets, and there are national as well as international collaborative efforts to put monetary value on our soil resources corresponding to their ecosystem values and services. The next section is an update on emerging land degradation assessment. The current international trend is more holistic in approach rather than focusing on soil parameters like soil erosion. To cap the chapter, we have a policy advocacy to conserve and properly manage our soil resources considering their contributions to the economy. A sample political platform based on sound management of soil resources by an incumbent mayor in Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur is presented to show that this is a realistic and attainable policy as the mayor received the 2012 One World Award Laureate given by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement (IFOAM) and the Rapunzel Naturkost in recognition of his political agenda that is centered on the proper management of our soil resources.