Google Mapping Iligan City

I have already seen Google Map and have used it already in the office, since I am with the Geographic Information System Section of the City Planning and Development Office here in Iligan.  And at times me and my office mates have been frustrated with the wrong data of Iligan  reflected in the Google map. 

Then last June, Lai, also a member of the Iligan Bloggers Society, told us during one of our meetings that we should do a Google Mapping update.   So,  Pat emailed Aileen Apolo-de Jesus, Marketing Consultant of Google Philippines.  He inquired about the Google Mapping activity the IBS is planning to do.   After a series of email exchange between Pat and Aileen and Lai, the group scheduled on July 30, 2011 the Google Mapping Party for Iligan City.  Google calls the activity "a party"  maybe so it will not sound so much like work, hehe.   

The IBS group then got busy inviting participants, preparing for the venue and other requirements for the mapping party.  At first, the venue was set at Jollibee (Tibanga) but when we had our dry run a week before we found out that the internet connection is very weak and that there is no internet access at their function room.  So we changed our venue and was able to get the approval for the use of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Session Hall.  Thank God our request was granted at a very short notice.   Many thanks to the SP staff who facilitated the use of the venue.  And we were able to get an internet connection through the assistance of the ICTC staff under the  City Administrator's Office.  Thanks to Marvin for sparing us his time to set up the internet connection at SP Session Hall.

I had a try of the Google Map Maker at home based on the tutorial links provided by Aileen and also had some trial mapping during our dry run.  But then, I was assigned to document the whole activity.  So, on the day of the Google Mapping Party, I was not able to make the actual mapping.  Instead I took videos and pictures of the activity.   Below are some of the photos and videos I took during the Google Mapping Party :

Jerick Almeda, giving the orientation on how to use Google Map Maker

 

A portion of Jerick's presentation

 

For initiating to do the Google Mapping Party, Google Philipines, through Aileen, sent us some t-shirts.

Thank you Google. Thank you Aileen.

Lovette Jam Jacosalem, the secretariat

Lisa Marie Mirasol (standing), the Project Manager for this activity, assisting the participants

Marilou Alfafara, assisting Jerick during his presentation as well as our runner, in instances when we need to fetch or buy something

Jerick, after his presentation, got busy checking in on the mappers and assisting them

Lai, giving additional instructions to the mappers

Mappers busy at work

And since it was a mapping party, it won't be a party if we would only be doing the mapping  the whole day.  So, the working committee decided to order one layer of pizza from Calda Pizza as the afternoon snacks for the group.   We ordered the largest, 36", since we were many.   But when the pizza was delivered , we were surprised to see two layers of the 36" pizza.  Wow!  The manager (Pat's friend) of  Calda Pizza decided to sponsor one layer.   Yes! Thanks to Calda Pizza.   The mappers got so excited upon seeing the pizza, we then announced a pizza break before it gets cold.

With pork pizza

Special pizza, without pork  :-)

The two photos above courtesy of Rene Pernia, I joined in the picture taking, hehe.  But my camera was running taking a video of all the excitement caused by the pizza. :-)

The pizza break

We concluded the mapping party at 4:30 in the afternoon with an assessment of the output of the mapping given by Xy-Za followed by the giving of certificates to all who participated in the event, mappers and non-mappers.   It then ended with Lai giving her closing remarks thanking all the participants for their support.   But as Lai said, this is not the end of the mapping party.  We,  in the future as a group (and even as individuals), will continue mapping Iligan City's information. 

Some photos during the distribution of certificate of participation.

And of course any IBS activity will not be complete without  the group picture.  

P.S. I found a way to document the activity with me included in the picture.  Thanks to my tripod and the self-timer feature of my camera.  Below are some of my photos with me included.   :-)  

 

 

 

 

P.S.S.   It was such a tiring day for me documenting the event.  But I enjoyed it so much. :-)