NAMRIA commences inter-island benchmark connections

6GPS trainings held in NCR, CAR, and Region IIby Aubrey George T. CorpuzMedia Production Division, Information Management Department, NAMRIAPreparation for PRS92 in ARMM underwayby Concepcion A. BringasMedia Production Division, Information Management Department (IMD), NAMRIA3The IEC Task Group conducted a series of seminarson GPS Data Processing and Evaluation to threeregions: the National Capital Region (18-27 February),the Cordillera Administrative Region (09-13 March), andRegion II (22-28 March). Part of the Task Group’scontinuing Regional Technical Education Program, thetraining (1) equipped the regional PRS92 technical staffwith sufficient knowledge and expertise on the use ofthe newly-acquired GPS equipment in observation andInspection of a GCP located near the signage of Cagayan ElectricCooperative II area coverage2 MOUs and 4 MOAs... from previous pageproject, while PAGASA will share weather observationdata gathered by their monitoring stations.The first MOA was signed on 29 January 2009 byAdministrator Ventura and Legazpi City Mayor Noel E.Rosal. The second MOA was signed on 05 March 2009with PN Flag Officer in Command Vice AdmiralFerdinand S. Golez at the PN office in Roxas Boulevard,Manila. The third one was inked with NVSU PresidentDr. Marilou S. Gilo-Abon on 16 March 2009 at the NVSUMini-Theatre in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. The fourthMOA was signed on 19 March 2009 with Leyte GovernorCarlos Jericho L. Petilla. The four MOAs aim toformalize the arrangement for the hosting of the AGS tobe established in Legazpi City, Naval Reservation inPuerto Princesa City, NVSU, and Leyte.The establishment of the PageNET, also referred toas the Continuously Operating Reference Stations, isunder the Development of the Geodetic NetworkComponent of the PRS92 Project.data processing using the Trimble Geomatics Officesoftware; and (2) gave them ample knowledge on howto evaluate, manage, and analyze their respectivedata and on how to design the network beforeexecuting the survey activities in the region.The NAMRIA team also assessed theaccomplishments of the three regions. Theyinspected established GCPs in order to validateregional accomplishments.LCdr. Gatchalian orients DENR-CAR technical staff on the basicconfiguration of the GPS receiver.NAMRIA Administrator Ventura (second from right, seated) and NVSUPresident Dr. Gilo-Abon (third from right, seated) sign the MOU for theestablishment of an AGS in the NVSU Bayombong campus. Witnessing theceremony are the key officials of NAMRIA, faculty members of NVSU, andrepresentatives from the DENR Provincial Environment and NaturalResources Office.NAMRIA Administrator Diony A. Ventura has sent twoteams to the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao(ARMM) to coordinate with the officials and technicalstaff and gather data for the implementation in the regionof the PRS92 Project in 2009 and onwards.The initial meeting between the NAMRIArepresentatives led by Deputy Administrator Peter N.Tiangco and ARMM officials headed by Regional DENRSecretary Kabuntal P. Emblawa, Al-haj, was held on 18February 2009 at the regional office in Cotabato City.An overview of PRS92 was presented and topographicmaps of the region were turned over to the ARMMofficials during the meeting. In his message, SecretaryEmblawa, Al-haj gladly received the NAMRIA visitorsand said they looked forward to the implementation ofPRS92 in ARMM. He also designated ARMM LMBDirector Brahim B. Andamen as the ARMM point personfor the PRS92 Project.Mapping and Geodesy Department (MGD) AssistantDirector Audie A. Ventirez led the NAMRIA team in afollow-up visit to the region on 09-13 March 2009. Theteam conducted an inventory of cadastral and other ENRdatasets for data conversion and assessment ofInformation and Communications Technology andhuman resource capabilities, and of the existingmechanism for Information, Education, andCommunication (IEC). The locations of the concernedunits were visited, point persons were interviewed, andsurvey forms were distributed. The results of theinventory and assessment were presented to theofficials and technical staff of DENR-ARMM led byAlindatu K. Pagayao, Assistant Secretary forAdministration and Finance and concurrent director ofthe Forest Management Bureau. Also in attendance werethe directors of LMB, Protected Areas and WildlifeBureau, Ecosystems Research and DevelopmentBureau, and Regional Public Affairs Office. The groupalso established linkages with point persons forconcerns on Geodetic Network Development, DataTransformation and Integration, Geodetic NetworkInformation System (GNIS), and IEC campaigns.Also conducted during the visit were demonstrationson the Land Survey Data Management System and theGNIS and on Manifold Software. The staff of the Recordsand Management Section were given an initial handsontraining on cadastral data encoding using the ExcelTemplate since this can be immediately utilized by theregion.Secretary Emblawa, Al-haj was grateful to theNAMRIA Administrator for providing his agency with acomputer unit and sending the NAMRIA team for theassessment activity. He said that he will communicatewith the Administrator to request for assistance in thepreparation of the ARMM PRS92 work plan forsubmission to the Department of Budget andManagement. Assistant Secretary Pagayao in turnacknowledged the region’s deficiencies in datamanagement, technology application, and informationtechnology skills. He said that they are looking forwardto NAMRIA’s provision of support for training and ofequipment through the PRS92 Project.A NAMRIA integrated plan to implement the PRS92Project in ARMM for CY 2009 is currently being finalized.The initial activities to be undertaken are trainingsessions and information campaigns for the respectivetechnical staff of the DENR-ARMM provincial and centralENR offices. Later activities include densification survey,leveling, cadastral and other ENR data integration, andregional social mobilization. The activities are tentativelyprogrammed to start in May 2009.Aside from DA Tiangco, the NAMRIA team that madethe initial visit also included Mapping and GeodesyDepartment (MGD) Director Jose Galo P. Isada Jr.,Joselito T. Reasol of the Development Studies andStandards Office, and OIC Nicandro P. Parayno of theMGD Aerial and Spatial Surveys Division. Thesucceeding composite team led by MGD ADir. Ventirezincluded Joselito T. Reasol, Concepcion A. Bringas ofIMD, Aurea O. Virtudazo of the Remote Sensing andResource Data Analysis Department, Bryan M. deGuzman of MGD, and Renato Eguia of IMD.NAMRIA MGD Assistant Director Ventirez (fourth from left) representedAdministrator Ventura in turning over the memorandum receipt of thecomputer unit to DENR-ARMM Regional Secretary Emblawa, Al-haj(second from left).