The Makati City government on Thursday launched a mobile application, the first-of-its-kind digital citizen app, which brings various local government services closer to people.
The Makatizen App, according to Mayor Abigail Binay, is a project under the government’s public-private partnership program in time for the city’s 347th founding anniversary.
Binay said the app is a product of the groundbreaking collaboration between PPP proponent Neo-Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. and Voyager Innovations that is “enabling the digital transformation of the city.”
Initially available for Android smartphones via Google Play Store, the mobile app brings important information and civic services closer to Makati residents in a way that is more engaging, rewarding, and convenient, through the help of their mobile phones, super-charged by Voyager’s innovative digital platforms.
“This is an important day for Makati. As we celebrate our founding anniversary, we also look to the future as the city that sets the pace of the country—and that includes engaging our Makati City residents at the speed of digital through the Makatizen app. We look forward to serving our constituents better and faster through this new platform that gives them the power to actively participate using their mobile phones,” said Binay.
The app will initially feature the following benefits for Makati City residents:
MakaGimik—up-to-the-minute advisories and announcements about Makati City programs and events;
MakaRide—instantly book a ride on board Makati’s point-to-point shuttle service, initially available to Makati City government employees;
MakaShopping—an in-app online marketplace where citizens can instantly shop for must-have items and receive exclusive discounts; and
MakaNegosyo—important information about how and why to invest and start a business in Makati City.
Through Voyager’s customer engagement platform Freenet, Makati is super-charging its digital transformation efforts by allowing its residents to use the app without incurring any data charges.
This will help in lowering the barrier to citizen engagement and empowering them to actively participate in the digital economy.
Makati residents can also have instant access to the MakaShopping online marketplace, powered by Voyager’s e-commerce platform Takatack. They can get exclusive discounts and privileges on must-have items that they can order through their mobile phones and have them delivered straight to their doorsteps.
More innovative and citizen-enabling features will be in the app soon, Voyager said.
Cities like Makati are now starting to embark on their digital transformation journeys with the help of Voyager’s various platforms in the areas of digitally-powered financial services, payments, commerce, and customer engagement that build a robust digital ecosystem for the entire country.
These platforms are being adopted by large corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, non-government organizations, and individuals all around the country in their respective pursuits of digital transformation that makes for a more inclusive society in the wake of the growing digital economy worldwide.
These platforms are made even more accessible by the most extensive fixed-line and mobile network and services from PLDT and Smart Communications nationwide. For more information about Voyager and its breakthrough digital platforms, visit www.voyagerinnovation.com.