DoST’s Lipad ‘clearer than Google Earth’

Land developers now can’t make excuses if they have built on areas prone to floods, landslides and other geo-hazards.

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Wednesday launched “Lipad,” a website that provides such crucial information for free. Lipad stands for Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) Portal for Archiving and Distribution.

Lidar technology produces high-resolution images at 1 meter per pixel, much clearer than Google Earth which has a resolution of 2 meters per pixel, said Carlos Primo David, executive director of the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development, a DOST-attached agency.

A ground image can be processed to remove obstructions like trees and buildings, so the user can also detect underground rivers, for example, he added.

In use since 2012, Lidar has mapped out almost half of the country’s total land area, including Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo and parts of Eastern Visayas.

If offered commercially, the valuable data gathered by the DOST through Lipad can cost around P600 million, David said.

At present, Lidar data are used only by the environment and public works departments, other DOST-affiliated entities like Pagasa and Project NOAH, and some local governments.