Community

2025 was a year of alignment—full of meaningful work, growing communities, and steady progress across research, mapping, and systems-building. It was also a year of movement, travel, and personal indulgence, where I learned to slow down, savor good food, and make space for relationships. More than milestones, I’m grateful for how grounded the year felt.

Ever wonder why the ratio of beginners and intermediate/advanced mappers is significant in OSM? Let us unpack this intriguing question by navigating my experiences launching the first-ever Regional Validation Hub Philippine Camp.

Dr. Brent McCusker and I hosted a 2-leg Participatory GIS workshop for the local chapters in the Philippines based in Metro Manila -- FEU Alabang, FEU Tech, Adamson University, and UPRI YouthMappers.

November 2023 was a month of profound experiences as I traversed through three exceptional conferences in Asia, each leaving a lasting impression on my journey in the open mapping community.

I had the incredible opportunity to collaborate with four universities in Leyte on a special YouthMappers UpSkilling Series workshop. Each leg of this series was like a unique chapter in a mapmaking story, with a common goal: to help build more mappers in the community.

With a clear and simple goal in mind - to enhance Mapillary's coverage in the Philippines - I started on an exciting journey equipped with my newly acquired Insta360 camera. My destination was the quiet streets of Leyte, where I was scheduled to conduct a YouthMappers UpSkilling Series across four universities. Check out my Mapillary story in Leyte.

Embarking on my first State of the Map US (SoTMUS) experience in Richmond, Virginia, was a dream come true. This year, with financial support through a travel grant, I eagerly delved into the realm of open mapping communities from the US.

As a dedicated community volunteer, I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual FOSS4G conference held in the beautiful city of Prizren in Kosovo.

Last 13-14 May 2023 marked a significant milestone in my career as I had the privilege to facilitate a youth-led community flood mapping workshop in Barangay 598, Santa Mesa, Manila..

The YouthMappers network competitively selected university students from chapters worldwide to participate in the 2023 YouthMappers Leadership Fellows Summit held in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Undergraduate and graduate students from a recognized YouthMappers chapter were chosen based on their demonstrated leadership potential, technical abilities in open mapping, and strong communication skills.

On February 18, 2023, I organized an online get-together for all local chapters of YouthMappers in the Philippines. The Filipino YouthMappers community has grown over the years, so gathering them together helps nurture our community and creates a sense of belonging in the network. Also, part of this event is to collectively create a social impact to the communities in Turkey and Syria affected by the massive earthquake last February 6, 2023.

As an OSM volunteer, I know the significance of assisting communities during these critical times. Through YouthMappers, we supported the disaster activation efforts of Yer Cizenler by conducting regular mapathons.

I am highlighting the significant contributions of the local chapters of YouthMappers in the OSM community in 2022 and a short reflection about the impacts of YouthMappers in a local context.

I co-organized the annual Pista ng Mapa and State of the Map Asia 2022 in Legazpi, Albay last 21-25, 2022.

I attended the annual State of the Map (SoTM) and Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) 2022 in Florence, Italy, last 19-28, 2022 to represent YouthMappers and the Philippines.

The OpenStreetMap-Philippines community hosted its first face-to-face mapathon since the pandemic began.

This year, we celebrate International Women’s Day with the theme #BreaktheBias. As women continue to face challenges in society, Arnalie Vicario discusses how we can change perceptions and challenge the conversation forward to create positive and social change on mapping.

Senior high school students from the Philippine Science High School - Bicol Region Campus, Carlo Mañago and Rhoanne Miranda, pursue community mapping using OpenStreetMap (OSM) as part of their Science Immersion program.

My first year as a Regional Ambassador for YouthMappers has concluded!

The need for serving the communities through providing them with accurate and updated data still matters, but the joy of working with the people we meet help sustain us (volunteers) in continuing our volunteer efforts.