With the support of the Department of Tourism, Google has just announced that the Philippines is now the 69th country to have live Street View imagery on Google Maps. The service, which now includes over 30 historic locations all over the Philippines, lets users experience the sights in all their 360-degree splendor. Feel like a visit to Vigan? You don’t have to travel a dozen hours, just fire up the app! Want to see the peak of Mt. Pulag? Street View has that for you too. UNESCO World Heritage Sites, tourist destinations, maybe even your hometown are all up, ready to be visited from the comfort of your own couch.
“We’re very excited to be unveiling these new 360-degree panoramas of the Philippines today. This new Street View imagery showcases how countries are embracing unique online tools such as Google Maps as mediums for preserving their heritage and landscapes. With these images, Filipinos and visitors alike can now explore the beauty of the Philippines and share these with their friends and family at home and abroad,” said Ken Lingan, Country Manager, Google Philippines.
Apart from the obvious benefit of being able to see such beautiful vistas without the hassle, Street View lets us have a record of these sites forever. Cities are constantly changing, but having a record of things as they are today will prove invaluable should things change. The service also brings with it an additional boost to tourism and business.
“By allowing users to see a glimpse of the Philippines from wherever they are, we hope that Google Street View will inspire new visits from people who have not yet experienced the beauty of the country for themselves. And for those who have already been to the Philippines, we hope that this will give them new reasons to explore new areas they may not have considered before, encouraging them to visit the Philippines again,” said Department of Tourism Secretary, Ramon Jimenez.
Present at the launch was Congressman and boxing Champ Manny Pacquaio, who gave a tour of his home, and had a few words to say about the service.
“I’m happy that I can share the beauty of my hometown and province to the world through Street View. Not many people know that we have a lot of eco-tourism wonders in Sarangani, and one of the biggest fish ports in the country in General Santos City. Now, they can take a look and plan their next visit.”