Map Your Neighborhood and Get a Chance to Win $50,000 for the Philippines!

Google has announced a competition that could benefit you and your country! All you need to do is map your neighborhood through Google Mapmaker. I have been relying a lot on Google Maps for map info especially when I go in and out of Manila and remember how we used the map during Typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng?

Interested people can register for the Map Maker Global Competition at http://www.google.com/help/mapmaker/competitions/global/getstarted.html. The contest is open from December 15, 2009 to January 31, 2010. Entries will be evaluated on:

· Mapping quality: Mapping additions and edits must be accurate and detailed.
· Mapping quantity: The more mapping additions and edits published, the better!
· Moderation quality: Moderations of mapping changes must be polite, helpful, and correct.
· Moderation quantity: The more moderations completed, the better!

In addition to the USD50,000 UNICEF donation, the contest winner will get a VIP tour from UNICEF officials of the local project in their country that will benefit from the donation. Google will also invite the winner to attend the Google Super Mappers 2010 conference, all expenses paid.

The winner will be announced by February 15, 2010.

Additional information about the Map Maker Global Competition can be found on http://www.google.com/help/mapmaker/competitions/global/index.html.

Here's some resources you can use to guide you on how to use Google Mapmaker:

Google Mapmaker Tutorial
Mapping Party Kit (if you wanna do it with friends)
Google Mapmaker Youtube Channel (for video tutorials)

Here's a great vid of how Laoag was mapped by Leonel (a doctor!):

Mapping with Google

I was very excited about the launch of Google's geo products for the Philippines and last October it opened Google Maps for editing via Google Mapmaker. Google Mapmaker is where you can tag landmarks, trace roads in the hybrid view (if the roads aren't on the map yet), and essentially put all information about your neighborhood on the map.

It's pretty amazing how much info has been added via Google Mapmaker. Check out this timelapse video of my favorite city, Davao:

More videos available at the Google Philippines Youtube Channel.

And now since Google Maps Philippines have been updated, I can embed here some important places in the Philippines for me:

Cagayan de Oro, where Sweetie had the engagement ring hand-crafted through Honey.

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Maa, Davao, where the proposal happened:

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And I'm monitoring my neighborhood too for any updates. 

View Larger Map

Here's some photos from the Google Mapmaker event: