___________ easily converted into GIS-ready format and interfaced/integrated with other datasets and software environment. Database (Spatial and Aspatial) will be seamless (provincial, regional and national) and with built-in electronic data security system.

• A. Municipal Boundary and Index Map
• B. Digital (Softcopy) Maps
• C. Cadastral Map
• D. Real (Hardcopy) Maps

Answer: (B)

Digital (softcopy) maps are created and stored in a native digital format with georeferencing, so they can be readily imported into GIS and easily converted to standard GIS formats. This makes it straightforward to interface them with other datasets and software within a unified spatial database that can be accessed and synchronized from provincial to national levels. The electronic nature also enables built-in data security features—controlled access, encryption, audit trails, and versioning—crucial for safeguarding geospatial information in government use. Hardcopy maps, by contrast, require digitization and georeferencing before GIS use, which adds steps and potential for error, while digital softcopy maps already align with GIS workflows and security needs.