Spatial Reference Framework for the

Republic of the Philippines

One of the major challenges of using spatial
information is transferring points from a spherical object,
like the earth, and displaying them on a two dimensional
map. The sciences of geodesy and surveying are used by
cartographers to accomplish this task. Unfortunately there
is not just one way to project points to a flat map. Each
transfer of points, called a projection, has a specific
purpose. A projection will preserve some information (i.e.
shape) but distort others (i.e. area).
Although there is not a ‘best projection’, the one most
commonly used in the Philippines, is the transverse
Figure 1. Cylindrical Projection, Transverse Mercator
mercator [TM]. A TM is used because the country
stretches primarily in a north-south direction. Projections
are just one part of a spatial reference framework. The
framework is further defined by an ellipsoid, geoid, datum
and coordinate system.

So why is this important…

Computer technology has allowed spatial data like
maps, satellite images, and survey drawings to be easily
accessed and created. Since spatial data is defined by a
combination of different variables, getting the wrong Ellipsoid – mathematical model of the shape of
combination will give you bad information or errors. For the earth
example, assigning the wrong datum or projection to a Geoid – theoretical surface generally defined as
spatial data layer will result in incorrect locations (i.e. city Mean Sea Level
streets in the middle of an ocean). Most spatial software Topographic surface – actual shape of the earth
like ArcGIS or MapInfo will ask you to define these
parameters if there is a conflict between data layers.
Therefore it is important to understand what are the
common combinations to defining spatial data and the
meaning of each part of the spatial reference framework.

The first step in creating a spatial reference framework
is to form a model representing the shape of the earth. The
earth is not a perfect sphere due to rotational forces created
by the spinning of the earth. This causes ‘flattening’ at the
north and south poles and bulging along the equator. A
mathematical model of the earth called a spheroid or
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Spatial Reference Framework – a combination of factors; ellipsoid, geoid,
datum, coordinate system and projection that identify a point on
a sphere and on a two dimensional representation of the sphere.
Geodesy – the science of measuring the earth.
Surveying – the science of identifying and measuring specific locations on
the earth.
Ellipsoid – a mathematical model of the size and shape of the earth
Figure 2. Comparison of an ellipsoid, geoid and topographic
surface
ellipsoid is developed. Although different in precise
meaning the terms are often used interchangeably. The
ellipsoid eases the identification of horizontal (X,Y
coordinates) points on a map.
Points of elevation are identified through a
vertical control network based upon another sphere
known as a geoid. A geoid is a theoretical surface
and can be referred to as Mean Sea Level (MSL).
Imagine if water were able to flow freely around the
world and not be impeded by land or forces such as
wind, waves or tides. This is what the geoid surface
looks like. The difference between the geoid and
ellipsoid is usually less than 100 meters.

Spheroid – slightly non-spherical object, but not necessarily Datums

mathematically definable.
Geoid – a theoretical surface generally defined as mean sea level. Used as
the basis for a vertical datum and as a reference for a horizontal
datum.
Horizontal Datum – a spheroid used as an (X,Y) reference to all points on
the real globe.
Vertical Datum – level surface to which heights (elevation) are referenced.
Next, a horizontal datum is developed using the
ellipsoid, the geoid and a network of highly defined
points based upon the latitude and longitude of an
initial point called an origin. In the Philippines, there
are two basic datums, the World Geodetic System
(WGS) of 1984 and the Luzon Datum created in
1911.
 WGS84 - WGS84 is a commonly used worldwide datum
developed from satellite measurements of the earth. It is
rapidly WGS84
becoming the preferred
– worldwide datum
ellipsoid andaround the world.
datum created from
Satellite images are often published using this datum.
Unlike most datums, the origin for WGS84 is the center of
the earth. The ellipsoid is also called WGS84.
Transformation parameters to convert from most national or
local datums to WGS84 are published and can often be
found in GIS software.
Luzon 1911 - The Luzon datum of 1911 is the most
commonly used datum for the Philippines. Most of the map
series published by the Philippines National Mapping and
Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) use the Luzon
datum. Any spatial data created from digitized maps will
most likely be based on it. Luzon uses the Clark 1866
ellipsoid and its origin is located just south of Luzon at
Balanacan, Marinduque Island.
PRS92 - In 1992, NAMRIA created the Philippine
Reference System datum of 1992 (PRS92). PRS92 is not a
new datum but an adjustment of the Luzon datum. The
original datum observations from Luzon 1911, used in
PRS92, were not recomputed. PRS92 uses a total of 467
GPS locations, of which 330 are first order accuracy. The
Luzon datum location network consists of survey data of
second order accuracy or below. NAMRIA has published
transformation parameters for PRS92 to WGS84 but there is
no published accuracy assessment.
Luzon-Mindanao - Measurements of the earth from
satellites have greatly improved the accuracy for defining
locations on the globe as well as finding distortions from an
original datum. Differences between Luzon and Mindanao
require different transformation parameters to properly
convert locations to WGS84. Some software programs
identify Luzon-Mindanao as a separate datum. This is
incorrect. Luzon-Mindanao is not a separate datum, it is the
Luzon 1911 datum with different WGS84 transformation
parameters. Extreme care should be taken to ensure the use
of the correct transformation. A point from the Luzon
(sometimes called Luzon-Philippines) datum transformation
will be approximately 10 meters north and 1 meter west of
the same point transformed using the Luzon-Mindanao
transformation
Coordinate Systems and Projections
Datums identify specific points on the ellipsoid
through the use of a geographic coordinate system also
known as latitude and longitude. The latitude and
longitude for a point will vary depending upon the datum
and ellipsoid. When using the geographic coordinate
system it is important to remember that it is comprised of
angular measurements. This means it is very difficult to
compute the distance between two points and to perform
calculations. To solve this problem a rectangular grid of
Cartesian (X,Y) coordinates are placed on top of the map
projection. This is called a projected coordinate system.
As stated earlier, transforming these points from a
spherical surface to a flat surface is accomplished through
the use of a map projection. A map projection results in
unavoidable distortions. Different types of map
projections will result in different types of distortions. The
most commonly used projection in the Philippines is a
cylindrical projection. This type of projection preserves
shape and direction of a feature. A Transverse Mercator
projection is a type of cylindrical projection in which
points with the least amount of distortion are generally
located along and near the central meridian.
To reduce the amount of distortion of a point further
away from the central meridian, most TM projections use
a scale factor of slightly less than 1. Imagine a flat map
lying slightly inside of the earth instead of lying tangent to
the central meridian (see figure 3). Points along the
central meridian are not ‘true scale’ (no distortion) but are
squeezed together. The lines where the flat map intersects
the earth are true-scale and the points off of the ellipsoid
are stretched apart.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

WGS84 – worldwide ellipsoid and datum created from satellite

observations.
Luzon Datum of 1911 – the national horizontal datum for the Philippines

PRS92 – updated Luzon Datum of 1911.

Figure 3. Points of true scale and distortion
Luzon-Mindanao – unique set of transformation parameters from the
Luzon datum to WGS84 for the island of Mindanao. Not a separate
datum
Projection – a two-dimensional reference surface used to convert
locations from a curved surface to a flat surface
Central Meridian – longitude line that the transverse mercator projection
is centered on.
Scale Factor – number that is multiplied to northing and easting values to
be placed on a two dimensional map.
 Two projected coordinate systems used in the
Philippines are the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM)
coordinate system and the Philippine Transverse Mercator
(PTM) coordinate system. UTM is a series of global
projections that divide the earth into 60 zones, six degrees
for each zone. The Philippines is covered by Zone 51North
which is bounded by 120° East and 126 East longitude and
has a central meridian of 123° East longitude. The scaling
factor is 0.9996 which means that true scale is located along
a meridian 180 km to the east and west of the central
meridian.
UTM uses a Cartesian coordinate system where the
origin of X and Y is located at the intersection of the
equator and the central meridian. The unit of measurement
is the meter. To prevent the use of negative numbers, which
make measurements and calculations more difficult, the X
coordinate, at the central meridian is given a value of
500,000 meters, instead of zero meters. The X coordinate is
also referred to as the easting. The Y coordinate, or
northing, remains at zero. For example, the coordinates for
the intersection of the Lantapan and Malaybalay roads,
using WGS84, are northing 890900 meters and easting
735334 meters. Therefore we know that the road
intersection is 890900 meters north of the equator and
235334 meters (735334-500000) east of the central meridian
of 123° East longitude.
The PTM is a not a global projection. It is a local
projection designed specifically for the Philippines and
primarily used for surveying political boundaries. PTM
reduces distortion by creating a series of central meridians.
While UTM has only one zone to cover the country , PTM
uses five separate zones. Bukidnon is in Zone V. The five
zones are:
Zone I 117° East Area west of 118° E
Zone II 119° East Palawan and Calamian Islands
Zone III 121° East Luzon (except SE), Mindoro
Zone IV 123° East SE Luzon, West Mindanao
Zone V 125° East East Mindanao, Bohol, Samar

Like UTM, the origin of the coordinate system is at the

intersection of the equator and the central meridian. The Y
coordinate (northing) is zero meters and the X coordinate
(easting) is 500,000 meters. In general, the PTM uses the
Luzon 1911 datum and the Clarke 1866 ellipsoid with a Summary:
scale factor at the central meridian of 0.99995. The key to using a GIS is the ability to identify unique
points on the earth’s surface. This is accomplished through
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS the proper use of a spatial reference framework. As more and
more spatial data are created, it becomes increasingly
UTM – Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system. A important to know the exact components of the spatial
series of projections used worldwide. Designed for regional reference framework. Spatial data that has an incorrect or
areas of study. undefined projection or datum will provide erroneous results.
In general spatial information for the Philippines will use the
PTM – Philippine Transverse Mercator coordinate system. Local following combinations:
series of projections designed primarily for collecting survey
data in the Philippines. One Two Three
Datum WGS84 Luzon 1911 PRS92
Easting – the X coordinate of a coordinate system used on a map Ellipsoid WGS84 Clarke 1866 Clarke 1866
Coordinate
Northing – the Y coordinate of a coordinate system used on a System UTM UTM/PTM UTM/PTM
map