GIS in Philippines Gets a Boost from Korean Aid

GIS in Philippines. The Korean Overseas International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) is set to release the amount of $50,000 for the National Economic Development Authority’s (NEDA) project on the institutionalization of Regional Geographic Information System Network (RGISN) in the Caraga Region, says report.

The Region 13 office here of NEDA said the fund will be downloaded anytime as the RGISN project is ready for implementation.

This developed after a meeting between KOICA’s Resident Representative Jinoh Kim and NEDA Regional Director Carmencita S. Cochingco was held last month.

In the meeting, the project was presented by Eun Sun Jang, a Korean Overseas Volunteer (KOV) specializing in Geographic Information System (GIS) assigned to NEDA Caraga since November 2008.

Kim expressed KOICA's interest in establishing a direct and substantial collaboration with NEDA since Korea is one of those countries consistently providing aid to the Philippines, Cochingco said.

She said the Caraga Region is also the focus of KOICA assistance, where 14 KOVs are currently deployed.

“This program is a big help to Caraganons,” Cochingco said.

As socio-economic planning agency of the region and the secretariat of the Regional Development Council (RDC), the NEDA Caraga will be spearheading the institutionalization of a geographic information system (GIS) in the region as support mechanism for effective planning and resource allocation and management, policy making, decision making, investment programming and monitoring and evaluation of socio-economic and environmental initiatives, programs and projects, she said.