OpenStreetMap

Hand-drawn map of Calamianes, 1899. José Algué >A map of Paragua (present-day Palawan) depicting the island of Busuanga, via the Internet Archive of Algué’s Atlas of the Philippine Islands


"Open Street Mapping"

About

Two weeks ago, from 14th to 16th March, the Catholic Organisation for Relief and Development Aid (Cordaid) project office in Coron hosted an OpenStreetMap workshop in Darayunan Lodge for their staff and network of partners to learn how OSM can be applied in their planning, monitoring and evaluation of their Integrated Watershed Management for Climate Reslience in Coastal Communities Project. Specifically, they hope to learn how to map the natural resources, support infrastructure, apart from other usual OSM features, in their own project sites

Participants

Aside from the Cordaid staff, their network of partners from governmental, non-governmental offices, and enterprises sent representatives as well:

  • National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP)
  • Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
  • Various offices of the LGU of Coron
  • Philippine Red Cross (Palawan Chapter)
  • Partnership of Philippines Support Services Agencies, Inc.
  • Association of Baranggay Captains (Coron)
  • The Samdhana Institute
  • Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD)
  • Apostolic Vicariate of Taytay - Social Action Center
  • East-West Seeds

OpenStreetMap Workshop

The OpenStreetMap workshop topics included general, basic mapping concepts, Open Source and Open Data, crowd-sourced mapping, the use of the JOSM editor, the use of GPS devices, SmartPhones (OsmAnd in particular), FieldPapers for field data collection, and the Tasking Manager for collaborative mapping activities. The workshop also included short demonstrations of more advanced topics, including InaSAFE and how it uses OSM data for scenario analysis and planning, and how to extract data from OSM for use with other software, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS.)

Activity results

Remote Mapping Exercise

Throughout the workshop, to improve the participants’ skills in mapping and interpreting aerial imagery, and to provide opportunities to apply new concepts and skills from the JOSM lessons, the participants were made to map the island of Cabra in Mindoro Occidental using existing imagery.

Cabra Island >The map of Cabra island. Left panel, before the workshop. Middle panel, today in Google maps. Right panel, mapping progress during the workshop.

During, and after the workshop, the trainers validated the edits made by the participants in a Tasking Manager project for Cabra instance hosted by TeachOSM.

Shown below is Cabra island today, in OpenStreetMap, showing highways, settlements, buildings, and landuse, as traced from the aerial imagery.

Cabra in OSM today

Field Data Collection Exercise

The field practicum for the workshop participants was held in downtown Coron, with participants divided into three groups, each led by a trainer to act as a coach during the exercise, and to answer questions about the tools or techniques being used for the data collection.

FieldPaper Atlas of the Coron Exercise Area

The mappers started early, and given two hours to map their assigned areas using FieldPapers, SmartPhones, SatNav Receivers and Cameras. They were told to map all establishments, mark establishments that has been closed or has moved elsewhere, and collect new POIs, especially those of significant interest to the general public like government facilities, emergency services, and business establishments.

Participants collecting POIs during the practical exercise

Data Collection Practicum

Acknowledgements

  • Cordaid Philippines - To Ms. Anat Prag (country director) and Ms. Retchel Sasing (project manager) for making this activity happen.
  • OSM-Ph Flying Circus Troupe - @rally, @feyeandal
  • And to the new, and very enthusiastic mappers in Coron, Palawan:

Coron Workshop Participants. Photo by @feyeandal.

Location: Coron, Poblacion 4, Coron, Palawan, Mimaropa, Philippines

Discussion

Comment from robert on 3 April 2016 at 11:31

Beautiful results

Comment from GOwin on 4 April 2016 at 03:11

Thank you, Robert.

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