The Philippine Department of Tourism (DoT) has partnered Makati-based school iACADEMY to launch the Experience Philippines, an augmented reality app which houses a treasure chest of visuals and information about the history of Intramuros, the famed walled city of Manila.
Currently, the AR feature only works on the DOT logo and certain sites in Intramuros, including the Gallery of Presidents, the Fort Santiago Gate, the Ayuntamiento, the Manila Cathedral, San Agustin Church, and the Churches of our Lady of Lourdes, of San Ignacio, of San Francisco, and of Recollects.
There are hopes to expand this technology to other tourist sites around the country, according to DOT secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.
Tourist sites that the DOT is eyeing for AR development include the Banaue Rice Terraces, Corregidor, Mt. Samat, Puerto Princesa, Pampanga and Mt. Pinatubo.
Intramuros administration administrator Guiller Asido believes the app will help attract more visitors to the city. “Culture buffs will enjoy Intramuros more with this app as they will be able to see how Fort Santiago and other historical sites looked like before,” he said.
The Experience Philippines app, which is available through Google Play and the Apple App Store, also serves as a compact version of the www.philippines.travel.
