The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) has successfully completed the pilot implementation of its Training Course on Downstream Data Utilization for educators, researchers, and professionals in the space science and technology application (SSTA) fields.
The training took place from November 25 to 29, 2024, in Quezon City.
A total of 30 participants from the academe, government agencies, and the private sector engaged in learning about the principles of remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
The topics covered included platforms and sensor systems, digital image processing, mapping and projection systems, spatial data models and analysis, as well as map accuracy assessment and validation.
The five-day training, conducted by PhilSA researchers and specialists, also addressed field data collection techniques alongside applications of RS and GIS.
Participants benefited from hands-on exercises such as Image Pre-Processing, Interpretation, Transformation; Image Classification; Flood Mapping; and Forest Monitoring using Google Earth Engine (GEE), Google Earth Pro, and Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS).
This comprehensive training equipped participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct research studies, apply their learnings to operations, and facilitate further capacity-building activities through echo sessions within their organizations.
To culminate the course, participants successfully created a flood susceptibility map for Central Luzon and prepared an action plan that encompassed the training topics.
The action plan aimed to address pressing societal issues such as air quality, environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), along with other challenges faced by their local government units (LGUs) or organizations.
Additionally, participants outlined how information derived from satellite data and other remotely sensed products could serve as a foundation for informed decision-making, ultimately leading to data-driven policy formulation.
Over 300 interested participants nationwide applied for this pilot implementation of the Training Course on Downstream Data Utilization.
In the coming years, PhilSA plans to expand its implementation to accommodate more participants from regions across the country while offering additional training courses aimed at further empowering Filipinos.