DOT launches app to showcase Intramuros

The Department of Tourism (DOT) encourages the public to rediscover the history of the Walled City of Intramuros using a mobile phone application called “Experience Philippines.”

The tourism department said Experience Philippines is an “augmented reality (AR) application available on iOs and Android [that] houses a treasure chest of visuals and information about the famed walled city of Manila.”

The DOT said the AR feature of the application currently works only on the DOT logo and certain sites in Intramuros.

These include 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. To activate, simply tap on the “ARTech” button and point at the tourist site.

The DOT said the application can be downloaded for free by simply typing “Experience Philippines” on Google Play or the App Store.

“With the Experience Philippines app, tourists can relive the past of Intramuros city with just a tap on their mobile phone screens,” said Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

Intramuros Administration Administration lawyer Guiller Asido said the app can attract more visitors to the historic 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.”

The Experience Philippines application is a joint project of the DOT and iACADEMY, a school in Makati that offers specialized courses in computing, business, and design.