Philippine Mapping
Mapping in the Philippines was uneven forcing the Army to look for information from a wide variety of sources. The maps of the Philippines show greater variation in information sources and style than any other in this series of city plans. All are dated 1944, but the actual date of the information on the maps varies wildly depending upon the underlying source data.
Ormoc, Leyte Province
The map of Ormoc was originally created by the Manila Fire Insurance Association in 1926. The map appears to be hand drawn. Each block is labeled with a number. The Fire Insurance Association probably had a block book that would then detail the composition of the buildings in each block.
Camiling, Tarlac Province
The Camiling map was "copied from a blueprint prepared by the 17th Infantry, 1900." The map was clearly hand-drawn and shows in detail the vegetation in the area with different crops specifically depicted. On the right side of the map one notes that a large area, perhaps a rice field, is known to be covered with "water from 3 to 10 feet deep." Telegraph lines are shown along the main highway. How much use was this map to the advancing army give that the information on it was nearly 45 years old?
Legaspi, Albay Province
This map appears to be a hybrid of information. The underlying data on the land bears a strong resemblance to the local cartography seen on other maps of the area in terms of its symbology and the depiction of the land. No mention is made of the source of the land data. The water data was copied from the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Chart 4237. Soundings are clearly marked with typeset numbers and on the land we see printed information about a landing field and the hospital.
Malasiqui, Pangasinan Province
The Malasiqui map design is one that would immediately be recognized as part of the AMS map series. The colors, layout, symbology, typography, and map information all conform to the standard output. The town is situated in the center of the map surrounded by clearly labeled features: rice fields, palm and "cocoanut" trees, bamboo forests, brushwood, orchards, and wooded areas. The map was compiled using a 1914 base map updated with vertical and oblique photographs taken in 1940.