By Crisdeniele Clemente 

Government personnel who can efficiently design and implement data-driven projects that secure the welfare of their constituents.

This is what the Mariano Marcos State University and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) in Thailand aim to develop in conducting a five-day training-workshop about geospatial data application. 

The activity, which started yesterday, is expected to equip employees of local governments and agencies, along with other higher education institutions, to use geospatial information assets in planning development projects. 

Geospatial data are gathered information about the locations of the Earth’s surface. These include objects, events, or phenomena that can be mapped both latitude or longitude coordinates on a geographical area.

Participants are being taught on geographical information system (GIS), remote sensing and global navigation satellite system; land use and land cover classification; geoprocessing tools and digital elevation model; site sustainability analysis; and precision agriculture using drone and GIS. 

Mr. Ranadheer Mandadi, AIT project officer, serves as lecturer. 

MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis thanked the speakers and the attendees for their interest in geospatial data application, saying their participation “will surely contribute to the effective service delivery to stakeholders.” 

The university president added the training is an outcome of the strong ties between the three universities. She also lauded the MMSU Internationalization, Linkages, and Partnerships (ILP) directorate, headed by Dr. Mee Jay Domingo, for the undertaking. 

In November last year, MMSU and AIT also conducted a seminar on remote sensing and GIS systems and their applications for LGUs and local agencies. This year, the second run of training is made more intensive, participant-centered, and technology-oriented. (HLY/JVBT/DPT, StratCom)