Google calls on volunteers for precinct-mapping project

DAVAO CITY April 23 (PIA)- Google Philippines is calling for volunteers to contribute to its Map-Your- Precinct Project 2013.

The Map-Your-Precinct project aims to help Filipino voters to find their precincts or voting centers using Google maps. The system entails the help of mapping volunteers which inputs details of the locations of precincts  to Google mapmaker.

The project started in 2010 was conceptualized with the entry of automated elections which made changes in precincts due to clustering thus causing confusion to many voters.

“We thought this would help and being able to empower citizens to help out their fellow citizens to find their precincts.  Aileen Apolo-De Jesus, Google head for outreach Southeast Asia said in a television interview.

De Jesus said that potential volunteer mappers must know their own neighborhoods. They can go tofindyourprecinct.ph and enter a city or locality which are familiar to them and look for unmapped precincts  then locate the precincts and pin it on the map.

She said that a volunteer doesn’t need to be expert in Google mapmaker as the site and its tools makes it easier for laymen to map their precincts.  De Jesus said that map-ups have already been conducted in Arakan in North Cotabato and in General Santos.  One can join roving map-ups or just plot the precincts within the comforts of their homes.

The Google executive said that they needed more volunteers since there are only a few precincts being mapped.

On election day, the information given by the volunteer mapper can help voters. The site gives exact address of the precinct complete with maps and details with the searching voter inputting just his precinct number The Map-Your-Precinct project was developed by   Google IT engineer Dan Cedric Delima who wanted to help fellow Filipinos find their voting centers, he said that based on experience growing up in Davao City, some schools are located in the interior and are difficult to find particularly for new voters.

De Jesus said that millions of Filipinos uses Google everyday to search for information and the company sees the mapping project not just an answer to Filipinos’ information needs but also to empower and equip them to contribute to nation-building. (PIA RG Alama)