Mount Arayat Protected Landscape (MAPL) is the only legally protected landscape in Pampanga and a key historical natural feature in the region III. Mount Arayat is also known as a key eco-tourism site. It covers a total area of 3,711 hectares of land. Therefore, it will be beneficial to study the land use and land cover change of the MAPL in order to preserve Mount Arayat's biological characteristics. The objectives of this study are (a) Assess and compare the LULC using National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) and land remote sensing (Landsat) data for the periods of 2010 and 2020; (b) Examine the LULC overall accuracy and kappa coefficient of MAPL; (c) Identify the drivers of land use change in Mt. Arayat Protected Landscape; and (d) Deduce land covers from land uses of Mt. Arayat Protected Landscape.

There are four (4) land use categories based on the FRA's six IPCCs: grassland, forest, settlement, and cropland. The classifications are based on a 10-year interval. The percent change in NAMRIA, the highest increase is 12.08%, which is the cropland and grassland decrease of -0.19%. For the Landsat 8 image, the cropland increased 0.02% by the years 2010-2020. The settlement also increased by 1.06%. For grassland, it decreased by 0.02%, and for forest, it increased by 0.04%. For land area, the highest is cropland with 1.06%, and the lowest is grassland with 0.02%. In terms of overall accuracy assessment, Landsat 2020scored 77% with a Kappa Coefficient (T) of 0.62 (substantial), while the lowest score was 66% with a Kappa Coefficient (T) of 0.45 (moderate). In conclusion, the study is used of two distinct sources for NAMRIA and Landsat 8 images led to varying interpretations of the results. However, when conducting pixel-by-pixel analysis, it is crucial to strictly verify the accuracy assessment through ground validation of each random point.

Thesis (Master of Science in Forestry - Forest Resource Management)

Includes appendices and bibliographical references.