VSU Geospatial Research, Innovation and Development Center

Needs Topographic Map?
Here you can download 1:250,000 topo maps of areas in the Philippines.

Philippines AMS Topographic Maps - Perry-Castañeda Map Collection - UT Library Online

🚨 Most GIS maps don’t look wrong because of the data… they look wrong because of the classification method. 👀

Same dataset. Different classification. Completely different story.

Understanding when to use:
✔️ Natural Breaks (Jenks)
✔️ Equal Interval
✔️ Quantile
✔️ Defined Interval
✔️ Standard Deviation
✔️ Manual Interval

…can completely change how people interpret your map.

A good GIS analyst doesn’t just visualize data — they choose the right storytelling method behind it. 🗺️📊

Save this for your next choropleth map project and follow for more daily GIS knowledge. 🔥

🌍𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗗 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝟮 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗜𝗦-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁

The Geospatial Research, Innovation and Development (GRID) Center, in collaboration with the Department of Geodetic Engineering (DGE) of Visayas State University, successfully conducted Series 2: GIS-Based Parcel Mapping and Property Database Development on April 14 to 15, 2026, at the Faculty of Engineering Activity Hall.

As part of the ongoing GeoSupport Project, and building on the outputs of Series 1, the training aimed to further strengthen the capacity of Local Government Units (LGUs) in developing and managing geospatial data for tax mapping and local planning. The activity began with the presentation and evaluation of Series 1 outputs, serving as a foundation for the succeeding sessions.

The training covered parcel database design, attribute table management, data integration, and GIS-based parcel mapping workflows. Participants engaged in lectures and hands-on workshops on table specifications, database updating, table joining, and on-screen digitization of parcel data, including the plotting of technical descriptions using QGIS tools and integration of CAD data into GIS.

The activity also featured sharing of best practices from Geodetic Engineers in Assessors’ Offices, particularly Engr. Keanu Galgo (LGU Baybay) and Engr. Isidro Lusanta (LGU Ormoc), providing practical insights on the application of GIS in property mapping and local governance.

The training concluded with participant impressions, awarding of certificates, and discussions on ways forward, reinforcing the commitment of the GRID Center and the Department of Geodetic Engineering to support LGUs through capacity building, technical assistance, and the development of data-driven systems for effective governance and planning.

📍𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒📍

The GRID Center successfully conducted a 2-day training on Understanding and Preparing LGU Parcel Data for GIS-Based Tax Mapping on April 7 to 8, 2026, with participants from 10 Local Government Units (LGUs) across Leyte Province. The activity focused on building foundational skills in understanding, organizing, and preparing parcel data to support accurate and efficient GIS-based tax mapping.

The training was further enriched by lectures and inputs from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Geodetic Engineers from both the private sector and Assessors’ Offices, strengthening participants’ capacity in managing spatial data for improved revenue generation and evidence-based decision making.

This activity is part of the 𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 of the GRID Center, led by Dr. Jannet C. Bencure, in collaboration with the Department of Geodetic Engineering. The project aims to assist LGUs in adopting geospatial technologies through capacity building, technical support, and data-driven solutions for more effective governance and planning.

𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: 𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗗 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗚𝗘 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝗚𝗨 𝗝𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗿 📍

The Geospatial Research, Innovation, and Development (GRID) Center, in collaboration with the Department of Geodetic Engineering (DGE), conducted a coordination meeting with Hon. Michael Dragon T. Javier, Municipal Mayor of Javier, Leyte, on 17 March 2026, as part of the ongoing extension project, “𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 (𝘎𝘦𝘰𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵).“

The meeting focused on discussing the current progress of the GeoSupport project and identifying potential areas of collaboration aligned with the proposed initiatives of the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Javier. Key points included strengthening data-driven decision-making and enhancing local planning and governance through the application of geospatial technologies.

One of the highlights of the meeting was the presentation of the proposed 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗠𝗮𝗽 𝗗𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱, which is intended to enhance revenue management and serve as a spatial decision-support tool for local governance.

This engagement underscores the sustained commitment of the GRID Center and DGE to assist local government units in advancing sustainable and technology-driven development.

🚀𝔹𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝔾𝕀𝕊 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕒𝕝 ℂ𝕒𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕥𝕪 𝕒𝕥 𝕍𝕊𝕌!

The 2026 GIS Training Needs Assessment results are in, and we’re launching a focused training series designed to strengthen GIS and Spatial skills across the university.

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐞𝐝 for the official training calendar and registration details.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗯𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆, 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 "𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲” 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲!

ꜰᴇᴀᴛᴜʀᴇᴅ ꜱᴛᴜᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴀᴘ: Galešnjak Island-The Island of Love

❓Did you know you can export maps directly from basemaps like QuickMapServices in QGIS as high-quality image files with their projection preserved?
📍This is better than a regular screenshot, because the exported image retains coordinate information, making it ready for analysis, presentations, or printing.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝗱
🔍Hazards are not random, they are mappable.🔎
GIS helps us understand where, how often, and who is exposed.

Explore hazard maps through Hazard Hunter here:

HazardHunterPH - Hazard assessment at your fingertips Hazard assessment at your fingertips