More About PhilGIS
Meet its Founder and Project Director, Al Tongco  

Al Tongco established the Philippine GIS data Clearinghouse to fill the need for a central one-stop source of downloadable geospatial data – free of charge – to all who needs it.  It has not been an easy experience to search and access even the basic GIS data on the Philippines.  While other countries have been making substantial and fast progress in the development and free distribution of their own geospatial data, the Philippines has been moving relatively at a slow pace.  The availability of free geospatial data can encourage GIS users and change-movers to actively participate in the country’s economic and development efforts. The country, indeed, needs to do a lot of catching up especially when it comes to sharing large-scale, high-resolution geospatial data and making them available to all – especially to development workers and decision makers. 

As a central repository of geospatial data, PhilGIS strives to avoid duplication of data that has been developed elsewhere.  Currently, PhilGIS is collecting available country-level vector and raster datasets.  These are mostly culled from large global datasets developed by international agencies such as NASA and CGIAR, since these are freely available.  The resolution and scale are sufficient for regional and provincial level applications.  Larger scale and higher resolution data, however, are needed for in-depth municipal and barangay-level spatial analysis.  PhilGIS shall eventually seek to be a partner in local-government spatial data development efforts.

PhilGIS, in a sense, is a collaborative effort similar to a participatory GIS, sustained by those who develop and contribute geospatial data.  The growth of PhilGIS, therefore, largely depends upon data contributors and collaborators as well as volunteers and benefactors.

Al has been involved in GIS in various capacities for the past 6 or 7 years.  He had worked for several years in various academic and business institutions in the Philippines and in the U.S. and Kuwait.  He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees in engineering and currently working at Oklahoma State University (OSU) on GIS projects.  He has been involved in projects such as biomass energy geospatial analysis for the Southwest Central Region U.S.A., local government GIS development, agricultural land usability, and temporal parcel fragmentation.  He is also involved in GIS training and advising at OSU and McCurtain County, Oklahoma, as well as GIS consulting. 

If he's not busy with building PhilGIS, he is with his other passion - his motorbike.

Read Concept Paper of PhilGIS.

Read resume of Al Tongco.