DURP students and campus architects map UPV Iloilo City campus

On March 14, 2026, nearly 40 students from the Diploma in Urban and Regional Planning (DURP) program at the UP Visayas College of Management took their learning beyond the classroom. Using their smartphones, the group conducted a hands-on mapping workshop of the Iloilo City campus.

The half-day activity was organized by DURP faculty members EnP. Rhodella A. Ibabao and Prof. Jee Grace S. Diala for their Research Methods and Planning Techniques courses, with the participation of EnP. Ronald M. Cartagena. As part of their commitment to public service, Ar. Christian Rodeo Pancrudo and Ar. Mark Andrew Parcia — from the Campus Architect Team under the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development — provided technical guidance throughout the activity.

The workshop was a unique exercise in the co-production of knowledge. While the architects shared technical mapping standards, the DURP students — who are themselves planning professionals from local government units, national agencies, and private firms — brought real-world experience to the field.

After a briefing on mobile GPS tools, students fanned out across the fenced area of the campus to record data points for various government facilities, later verifying their findings through Google Earth. The session concluded with a collaborative review of the data, where everyone discussed common technical challenges, such as signal interference from cloud cover and tree canopies affecting location precision.

These updated maps will serve a critical purpose: refining the UPV Iloilo City Land Use Development and Infrastructure Plan (LUDIP) and supporting environmental permit applications.

The DURP program remains open to planning and development practitioners seeking practice-grounded education. Applications for the first semester open soon. For queries, contact the UPV Graduate School Office. (DURP)