Castro, Lemuel Clement M.

2007-62409

Reaction Paper for Geog 1

Having had tried using a Global Positioning System before in one class session in my
previous CWTS class, that was the first thing I thought of when I read the article. The article
stresses at one part that the one problem in GIS is the total cost of purchasing devices and
updating the data in it as well as the data collection procedure. I completely agree, having taken a
GE course previously. I remember asking my teacher how much one of the GPS devices costs
and I remember him saying something like eight-thousand pesos or something. Navigating using
GPS was a very interesting experience since the arrow pointer only moved when the person
carrying the device was displaced from his/ her previous coordinate. It makes me wonder how the
device worked.
It’s sad to say that we don’t get much out of GIS(or at least the more modern
technologies, since we still have access to google earth, local maps and computers), especially
those who really need it such as farmers, environmentalists and our military. The article reminded
me of this documentary I saw about farmers in the US using thermomaps to look for vegetable
areas in their land property. It’s sad that considering the ratio of farmers in the Philippines to the
US, not one Filipino farmer has access to this kind of technology. The military could use this too
to navigate in unfamiliar territories in terrorist bases. Fortunately, at least to my knowledge, small
terrorist groups such as the ones in the Philippines too don’t have access to advanced GIS
technologies yet and hopefully the bigger world scope ones don’t too.

At present, I look forward to GIS technologies being applied on other celestial bodies. I’ve
always been interested in the concept of life in other solar systems and galaxies, and universality
of all countries, thinking not only about what’s on earth but beyond. Although, applications on
other celestial bodies seem far from ready since we can’t even feed and maintain all life on earth.
Also, it’s sad to admit but most technologies including GIS were made possible because of the
events that took place in World War 1 and 2 wherein the military needed communication link as
well as data storage. Every time I read or hear about or experience first hand a new technology I
always wonder what the equivalent of that technology would be, had World War 2 not happened?