NAMRIA, through its Geomatics Training Center (GTC), conducted the fourth basic Geographic Information System (GIS) training for the Climate Resilient Cities (CRC) Project. The training was held at Garden Orchid Hotel in Zamboanga City on 19-23 June 2023. The training participants were composed of a total of 28 middle-level and technical personnel selected by the local government of Zamboanga City. The CRC Project's overall objective is to improve resilience by strengthening the adaptive capacity of the cities to adapt, mitigate, and manage the impacts of climate change and disasters.

 

A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) was signed between NAMRIA, represented by Usec. Peter N. Tiangco, PhD, and Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation Inc. (PDRF), represented by its President, Mr. Rene S. Meily. PDRF is one of the implementing partners for the CRC Project. The other implementing partners are Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Conservation International (CI), and Rocky Mountain Institute. The Project is funded by the United States Agency for International Development.

 

The training topics included map appreciation and introduction to GIS, basic map concepts, application of GIS functions in data management, georeferencing, tracing, geoprocessing tools, and hazard spatial overlay and analysis. The required final outputs for the participants were laid out hazard maps.

 

The NAMRIA training team was composed of Mr. Aljerico A. Alcala and Ms. Nilca Jane F. Fabellon as resource persons and Mr. Manuel V. Lorenzana, Jr. and this writer as training assistants. The PDRF training staff were Mr. Mark Lester Rodrigo, Senior GIS Officer; Mr. Rudyard Jose Nano IV, Research and Innovation Officer; and Ms. Sherry Mae Buentiempo, GIS Officer. The CRS team consisted of Mr. Christopher Rey Cadiz, City Coordinator and Ms. Sylvia Sueno, Project Officer.