This 'virtual-reality' Intramuros tour showcases what Google Street View can do

You can look up, down, close, far, and all around as if you were actually there: these breathtaking views let you tour historic Intramuros without leaving your computer.

Google Street View Philippines kicked off its operations in cooperation with the Department of Tourism on Tuesday, January 28, with a virtual tour of Intramuros.

 

People from around the world can now view 360-degree panoramas of four locations in Intramuros, namely the San Agustin Church, Baluarte de San Diego, Plaza San Luis Complex, and Fort Santiago.

 

The  interactive panoramic photos below of Intramuros were taken by Street View Trekker, a wearable backpack camera system.

Google plans to use the Trekker, along with the Street View Trolley, a pushcart camera system, to capture more of the Philippines’ off-road, natural and indoor destinations as part of their efforts to bring more Filipino sites online for the world to see, a Google press release said.

 

 

 

 

 

This virtual tour is just the beginning of Google's long-term effort to capture the Philippine landscape in immersive panoramic imagery.

 

Street View cars will also be deployed to capture panoramic images of the country, starting with Manila.

 

These odd-looking vehicles have 360-degree panoramic cameras attached on top which will take "photo spheres" as they drive along the roads of Manila.

 

Street View was first launched in the United States in 2007. At present, Street View imagery is available in over 50 countries.

 

“Our partnership with Google to bring Street View to the Philippines will allow us to create a digital experience of our landscapes, which we hope will entice more people around the world to learn about our diverse offerings and visit our country,” Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said in a press release.

 

Human faces and license plates will be blurred by a highly sophisticated technology for the sake of privacy, Google said. Users may also request further blurring of any image that features them by clicking the 'report a problem' tool at the bottom right corner of Google Maps.

 

To view the first Google Street View panoramic images of the Philippines, go to Google Maps and search for Intramuros, Manila. Click the icon with the yellow man and click any of the light blue lines.— TJD, GMA News