Luzon Datum Of 1911

Luzon Datum of 1911: Journey to the Center of the Philippines

Culminating my Mountaineering Year, 2013, was a climb to an underrated mountain in my hometown. It was very special because located in that mountain is the exact CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES. It is said that every Filipino Geodetic Engineers dream of reaching this marker as it serves as the Point Zero when making a map.

 

Luzon Datum of 1911/Station Balanacan. 

This Philippine Marker is located in the highest hill in the northwest point of Marinduque Island. According to marinduque.gov.ph, its institutionalization as geodetic datum origin is traced to the surveying and mapping activities in the Philippines of the then United States Coast and Geodetic Survey (USCGS). With the new territorial claim of the US following the Spanish-American War, the responsibilities of the USCGS grew which included the conduct of various scientific and cartographic initiatives in the Philippine Islands beginning 1901.