GIS-BASED SPATIAL ASSESSMENT OF RESORTS IN CALAMBA CITY, LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES

Abstract. Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR) supports the water requirements of many towns in its periphery. One of the towns that benefit from the forest reserve is Calamba City, known for its resort-based tourism. The number of resorts in Calamba has significantly increased from 193 in 1998 to 466 in 2014 which has an implication on water consumption on which one of the initial steps in the monitoring aspect is the determination of its spatial distribution. Therefore, this study aims to determine and analyze the spatial distribution of resorts in Calamba City using Geographic Information System (GIS) to generate a distribution map of all the operating resorts showing the hotspots and clustering of resorts. The study recorded 852 resorts in Calamba City. The dense resort areas and the most significant hot spot area are located at Miramonte Village (Purok 6) and Purok 5 of Barangay Pansol. The result indicates a concentration of resorts in certain regions which raised concerns and should further be studied in terms of sustainable water use and environmental impact. The baseline data generated by this study will supplement the existing data of Calamba City on its resorts and help the local government in formulating effective land use and water extraction policies for the resort-based industry for a more sustainable management and conservation.