Manila, Philippines--Filipinos are now helping shape Google Maps.

Thanks to Google Map Maker, an application introduced in October 2008, Filipinos are now creating virtual maps of the Philippines on this virtual world, a Google executive said Thursday.

Google Map Maker is a software application that lets users add, edit and moderate maps. This application encourages users to also provide comprehensive, high-quality and updated maps, as well as local content.

"I think we've seen a huge amount of interest from Filipino users and there has been a huge amount of progress already. With the Philippines’ cultural and geographic diversity--and over 7,000 islands, there is absolutely a long way to go," said Derek Callow, Google's Head of Marketing for Southeast Asia, told INQUIRER.net.

Callow said Google Map Maker edits have come from a diverse group of local users, reflecting the overwhelming response of Filipinos to collaborate online and share knowledge about their communities and neighborhoods.

A user-generated content platform, Google Map Maker still goes through verification. As Wikipedia is to generating user-generated online encyclopedia, Google Map Maker is to user-generated map-making. Users can edit street-level data, landmark tags and business establishments. Once all these information are added, users from around the globe can view them.

To date, Google said that updated and accurate maps of several provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao Region, including key tourism areas in the country, are available for viewing.

"Foreign tourists need information about places. Having local information from the Visayas and Mindanao, it is a big help for those unfamiliar with the area. Foreign tourists usually search on the Internet for information. They look for maps. With Google Maps Maker, tourists are able to find [information] from the locals themselves," said Bernard Arellano III, one of the top Filipino contributors in Google Map Maker.

Arellano, who traces roots back to Iloilo, said he has been collaborating with other Google Map Maker users to improve the streets and key landmarks in the province.

Updating the Philippine map on Google Maps is a continuous work as places continue to evolve, Callow said.

"There is no specific timeline on updating information from Google Map Maker to Google Maps. The core thing for us internally is to make it as quickly as possible and it really depends on the volume of edits. Our promise to users is that when they contribute, we want to make sure it gets rolled out to Google Maps so that in turn their expertise and knowledge is of benefit to as many users as possible," Callow said.