By John Mark V. Tuazon
Computerworld Philippines
March 4, 2010

A Filipino software developer took home US$50,000 worth of donation funds after besting 700 contestants from other countries in the first-ever Google Map Maker Global Competition.

Wayne Dell Manuel, a 23-year old developer at the National Telehealth Center of the University of the Philippines in Manila, made a total of more than 1,500 qualifying edits in Google’s online mapping application from December 15,2009 to January 31, 2010 to win the cash fund, which UNICEF will donate to benefit projects that empower the Filipino youth through technology.

Manuel, who is recognized globally as one of the top ten Google mappers with as much as 35,000 edits under his belt, said he joined the competition to highlight the importance of having accurate maps to a country’s progress.

“Having detailed maps, especially for the rural areas, would greatly help in tourism, municipal planning and disaster relief,” Manuel said in an exclusive interview with Computerworld Philippines, adding: “I also wanted to win the $50k for my country.”

Manuel said most of the edits he did were of schools in the Luzon and Visayas region, mainly because schools are often used as “temporary evacuation centers” during calamitous times.

The chemical engineering graduate of the National University of Singapore shared that he devoted most of his free time to doing the edits. “The competition ran for one and a half months. I would spend almost the entire time I was home after work just doing the edits,” he explained.

In winning the competition, Manuel said he is grateful to have underscored the importance of technology in nation-building. “I feel elated that I am empowering young people through technology,” he said. “I strongly believe that technology can and will play a great role in instituting the change we want in the country.”

The Google Map Maker Global Competition is an attempt to encourage users around the world to “map universities, schools and hospitals in their home countries to help humanitarian organizations do their jobs better.”

Aside from the cash grant for youth projects, Manuel also won a VIP tour from UNICEF of the projects that will benefit from the donation.

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