Filipinos' notes can now be seen on Google Maps

Shown from left to right are the previous and current maps of Davao City dated August 2008 and February 2009 as featured on Google Maps. Through Google Map Maker, which was launched in the Philippines last year, Filipinos have been encouraged to add and edit street names and locations across the country, allowing users around the world to see accurate and updated maps of these areas. MANILA, Philippines - Notes written by Filipinos on Google Map Maker can now be seen on Google Maps, allowing users around the world to see accurate and updated online maps as well as new roads and attractions in the Philippines. Launched in the country in October last year, Google Map Maker – which allows users to edit Google Maps data – enabled local map enthusiasts to contribute to the building and updating of the country’s online map data. Since the launch, hundreds of users have contributed tens of thousands of edits, reflecting the overwhelming enthusiasm by Filipinos to collaborate online and share their knowledge of their neighborhoods with the rest of the Internet community, a statement released by Google Inc. said. Filipino civil engineers, business executives, programmers, entrepreneurs, and students have all contributed to Google Map Maker, the statement said. Through a moderation and verification process, most of these edits, which include street-level data, landmark tags, and business establishments, can now be seen on Google Maps, it added. “Because of the collaborative efforts of local map enthusiasts, we are beginning to see the “physical face" of the Philippines getting clearer over time for the global community to see. This is a great start, but know there is much more to do, so we encourage you to join your fellow Pinoys and contribute to Google Map Maker to give the Philippines an accurate virtual country map to be proud of," said Derek Callow, Head of Marketing, Google Southeast Asia. Next: Filipino student in Singapore, call center agent in Iloilo among top map note contributors Filipino student in Singapore, call center agent in Iloilo among top map note contributors Wayne Manuel, a chemical engineering student in the National University of Singapore, said he “started adding streets and establishments in Tuguegarao," the place of his birth and proceeded to do the same for Baguio City where he grew up. “Then I quickly moved on to editing municipalities and cities," said Manuel, one of the Philippines’ top contributors to Google Map Maker with several thousand edits. “It started out like a big jigsaw puzzle with many pieces missing. But when I saw the roads, street names and landmarks coming together on Google Map Maker, I felt really happy for my country and it encouraged me to contribute even more," Manuel said. Bernard Arellano III, also a contributor to Google Map Maker in the Philippines, shares Manuel’s passion. “The reason I set out making edits is because I wanted to help promote the places that I grew up in and the country as a whole to the rest of the world. The mission continues and I hope even more Filipinos will join us on Google Map Maker to improve the online map of our beautiful country," said Arellano, who has made several thousand edits on Guimaras and Iloilo. "I think it’s important that local users keep the edits coming in because having accurate map data helps promote the country’s viability to foreign investors and tourists," said Dante Varias, a 56-year-old civil engineer who is also among Google Map Maker’s top contributors for the Philippines. “The Google Map Maker interface is so user-friendly you don’t need any specialized training before you can start editing." Varias said that he had been looking for map-making software prior to the launch of Google Map Maker late last year. “When I discovered Google Map Maker, I immediately started enjoying the process of editing the map tiles of Cavite, so much so that after only 37 days, I had already added over several thousand edits on my own." - GMANews.TV