by Christine Lyn Viajante
MACABALAN, Cagayan de Oro City (Oct. 18) โ In a two-day Training of Trainers on Basic Map Generation using Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS), some 20 Fisheries Extension Workers (FEW) from the province of Misamis Oriental were recently equipped with technical skills for spatial data management and map generation by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 10 (BFAR-10) here.
Spearheaded by the Regional Fisheries Training and Fisherfolk Coordination Division (RFTFCD), the training is part of the bureauโs thrusts to harness modern technology for resource conservation of marine areas in the said province.
Resource speaker June Gabriel Pagalan explained that QGIS is a free, open-source software that enables users to visualize, manage, analyze, and generate spatial data.
โKami sa BFAR, we rely on these advanced geographic information systems (GIS) para ma-insakto ug mapa ang atong mga fisheries resources ug ma-monitor ang uban pang katubigan dili lang dinhi sa MisOr pati pa sa uban parte sa region,โ Pagalan elaborated.
[In the BFAR, we rely on this advanced geographic information system (GIS) to map out our fisheries resources and monitor other bodies of water not just here in MisOr, but throughout the region.]
Further, the training provided participants with a comprehensive introduction to QGIS and hands-on experience with basic map generation processes.
In their hands-on activity, participants were taught how to lay out base maps, essential as reference points for creating more detailed geographic data layers.
They also learned how to import and convert data points, such as fishing locations, aquaculture farms, and marine protected areas, into usable map formats โ converting non-spatial data, such as Excel files, into vector layers in QGIS.
โGapaabot gโyud ko ani nga training. Isa ni sa pinaka-looked forward nako kay I was fortunate enough to attend the lecture before but I wasnโt really able finish it, nabitin ko pero naa koy chance karon nga humanon akong nasugdan,โ Misamis Orientalโs Provincial Fishery Officer, Arlene Novo shared.
[I have been waiting for this training. This is one of the trainings that I have been looking forward to because I was fortunate enough to attend a lecture (about this) before but I wasnโt really able to finish it, it left me hanging but now I have the chance to finish what I have started.]Novo added that the training will empower the FEWs to make data-driven reports and enhance the sustainability of our resources in Misamis Oriental.
She underscored that the knowledge and skills gained from this training will also support the BFAR-10โs ongoing conservation efforts, enhance data visualization, and furnish vital insights into the regionโs fisheries ecosystem. (CLViajante//BFAR-10)
