'Corregitour': University of the Cordilleras and TIP develops virtual tour app of Corregidor Island thru CHED-NCCA grant

The original form of the ruins in Corregidor Island can soon be viewed through "Corregitour," a mobile application developed by the University of the Cordilleras (UC) and the Technological Institute of the Philippines (TIP).

Funded through the Salikha Creative Grants by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the project entitled "A Virtual Tour to Cultural and Heritage Spaces of Corregidor Island in GPS-Based Augmented Reality" will integrate innovative mobile technology with architecture system to allow users to use their smartphone cameras around Corregidor Island to visualize a simulated digital rendering of the original forms of six identified structures within the island.

The mobile application will utilize augmented reality (AR) which "super imposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, thus providing a composite picture," according to international academic publisher ISI Global. Architectural 3D modelling of historical ruins such as buildings, structures, and objects will be remodelled and rendered to its original form through augmentation.

Among the project's main objectives is to help the public better appreciate the island's deep historical significance through a more interactive approach. In addition to preserving its history, the project also aims to become a learning tool and a virtual tourist guide. The UC-TIP Team conducted a survey using Usability, Satisfaction, and Ease of Learning and Use Tool to students and tourists and it was found that the application is deemed "usable" as an educational tool and a visual tourist guide.

The UC-TIP Team behind this endeavor is led by UC President Nancy M. Flores as the project manager with Lawrence B. Dolores of TIP as Architect Lead, Gerald T. Cayabyab of TIP as IT Lead, and various faculty members from both universities.

The Salikha Creative Grants by CHED and NCCA is a program which funds various projects proposed by higher education institutions across the country that are focused on the promotion of culture and arts in the Philippines.

The Geospatial Assessment and Modelling of Urban Heat Islands in Philippine Cities (Project GUHeat) aims to assess the development of urban heat islands in rapidly urbanizing and highly urbanized cities in the Philippines and develop models for estimating land surface temperatures (LST) and predicting urban heat islands (UHIs) by relating LST with environmental factors including land use - land cover distribution. This project is funded by the Innovation Council (Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, & Emerging Technology Research & Development of DOST (DOST-PCIEERD) and is implemented by the University of the Philippines Training Center for Applied Geodesy and Photogrammetry (UP TCAGP).

A documentary produced by second year Communication students from the University of the Cordilleras (UC) in Baguio City was adjudged as the "Best Documentary" and the "Most Child-Friendly Documentary" in the Young Adult Division of the 3rd DokyuBata Video Documentary Contest. The documentary bested 9 other finalists in the said division narrowed down from over 100 entries nationwide.