Koronadal City, South Cotabato – An in house capability building on mapping using the ARC- Geographic Information System ( GIS) software was conducted for NEDA XII Technical staff from January 11-14, 2022 to produce maps for the Regional Spatial Development Framework (RSDF) 2015-2045 (2020 Update).

The training was organized by the Policy Formulation and Planning Division headed by Romel Patrick Tanghal with Romeo Salac of Management Information System Unit (MISU) and Guillermo Manrique of Finance and Administrative Division (FAD) acting as resource persons.

The NEDA XII Map Team worked on shapefiles of maps, coordinates, and digital images that were provided by concerned government entities in the region such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Irrigation Administration, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Department of Public Works and Highways and others.

Digitization of different thematic maps were also done to show the spatial distribution of several specific data themes for selected geographic areas of the region. Among the outputs during the mapshop were an enhanced Final Base Map to serve as a reference map on which data from different layers of maps will be overlaid and visualized, population map, road network map, hazard map, growth centers map among others. A key output of the mapshop was the updated spatial strategy map showing the Sustainable Oases for Agro-industrial and agri-eco-cultural tourism Rendezvous in the Southern coastal, Orbital heartland, and Xystus northern highlands development corridors (SOAR SOX) in RSDF. After the mapshop, the generated maps shall be finalized, laid out, integrated in the RSDF 2015-2045 (2020 Update). The finalized RSDF is expected to be released to development stakeholders within the first quarter of 2022. (Ricardo L. Lamorena, NEDA XII-PFPD)