The city government of Makati gave recognition to 12 private firms for their significant roles in the city’s sustainable development and digital transformation.
The awardees included Ayala Land, Inc. as Outstanding Corporate Citizen–Hall of Fame; Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Valued City Development Partner; Makati Business Club, Business Organization of the Year; Asian Institute of Management, Business Academe of the Year; Rotary Club of Makati, Service Organization of the Year.
The Outstanding City Partner Award was conferred on Globe Telecom, iBayad Online Ventures, Mynt, GCash, and Neo Converge ICT Solutions while the Outstanding Corporate Citizen–New Enterprise Award was given to Chang Hwa Commercial Bank.
Hailed as this year’s Outstanding Corporate Citizen of Makati–Hall of Fame awardee was Ayala Land Inc. for being the undisputed lead partner of the city government in the environmental, economic, social, and cultural development of Makati. ALI president and chief executive officer Bernard Vincent Dy accepted the award.
The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry was named the Valued City Development Partner of the Year for its invaluable contributions to business growth and sustainable development in Makati. The award was accepted by PCCI president Alegria Sibal-Limjoco.
The Makati Business Club, represented by its chairman, Edgar Chua, was awarded as the Business Organization of the Year for being a major catalyst in the socio-economic development of Makati, which remains the undisputed center of commerce and industry in the country.
The Rotary Club of Makati was named Service Organization of the Year to pay tribute to its members and countless volunteers who have contributed to the social development of the city through meaningful initiatives and joint projects with the city government for the welfare of the less privileged sectors. Club past presidents Rafael Hechanova and Cesar Campos accepted the award.
The city awarded the Asian Institute of Management as Business Academe of the Year for its invaluable role in imparting knowledge and expertise on good governance and public service to Makati’s officials and civil servants. AIM president, Dr. Jiekyong Kang, accepted the award.
This year’s Outstanding City Partners were recognized for their key roles in jumpstarting the digital transformation of Makati through PPP. Globe Telecom was represented by its president and chief executive officer, Ernest Lawrence Cu. Other key officers who accepted the award were iBayad president and CEO Jose Paolo Angelo G. Saycon; CEO Anthony Thomas of Mynt and GCash; and Aristoteles Elvina, corporate secretary of Neo-Converge.
The Chang Hwa Bank Commercial was named Outstanding Corporate Citizen-New Enterprise for being the lead taxpayer among the top 10 new businesses in Makati, based on the data of the city’s Business Permits Office.
The City Private Partner for Social Enterprise was awarded to MetroStores Inc. represented by its general manager, Lemuel Quimpo. Through Makati’s long-standing partnership with MetroStores, new and clean food trailers replaced old ‘jolly jeeps,’ at no cost to the city. The project has provided sustainable livelihood to low income resident-entrepreneurs, as well as ensured safe and affordable meals for city workers and the public, even in the central business district.
“I would like to express my sincerest thanks to all our partners, for their faith and confidence in the city, and for sharing our vision for Makati and the Makatizens,” said Mayor Abigail Binay in her keynote speech at the 348th Araw ng Makati Vin d’honneur held at The Manila Peninsula.
Binay recalled how a year ago, she had asked Makati’s business community to join the city government in building a “bolder, more exciting future” for the city anchored on technology and strengthened by Public-Private Partnerships.
“Today, that shared vision is turning to reality. Our city now embraces technology in all facets of governance and public service. We believe that a digital Makati will make us more competitive in a growing digital world,” said Mayor Binay.
“By creating a digital community of Makati citizens, or “Makatizens” as they are proudly called, at no other time in our history are we as connected to our constituents as today. Through technology, we can now directly engage them, address their concerns faster, and create meaningful conversations with those we govern,” she added.
The city chief executive also brought the participants up to speed on the progress of flagship digital PPP projects undertaken by her administration which have started Makati’s journey toward digital transformation. These include the Makatizen Card, a multi-purpose, unified identification card for Makati residents and city government workers, launched last year through a PPP with Globe Telecom and iBayad Online Ventures.
“As envisioned, Makatizen Cards make life easier for our constituents. Through these cards, we are creating a cashless ecosystem where benefits, services, purchases, and other transactions are possible with a simple swipe,” Binay said.
The mayor reported that over 10,000 Makati residents and employees have received and activated their Makatizen cards to date. Data capturing, and encoding has also been done for 125,000 residents, of which 25,000 have been validated and cleared for card printing.
Recently, 31 payment centers called @Ur SerBis Bayad Centers, were set up in 28 barangay halls and in the premises of City Hall, University of Makati and Ospital ng Makati, where cardholders can pay utility bills and do other transactions.
The mayor also said that through another PPP entered with Neo-Converge ICT Solutions, Makati will soon have a fiber optic loop that will connect all government offices at no cost to the government.
“The infrastructure being built under this PPP program will also provide free wi-fi to Makatizens and allow real-time connection of the body cameras of policemen and the city’s first responders, dashboard cameras or mobile patrol cars, as well as existing street cameras, to the city’s state-of-the-art command center,” she explained.
The mayor emphasized, however, that the city’s digital initiatives do not end with the said initiatives.
“We will use technology to enhance our education sector. Our goal is to develop our pupils into digital natives conversant and proficient in the tools and language of technology in the workplace,” she said, and quipped, “All while wearing the top trending ‘Air Binay’ rubber shoes!”
Binay vowed to make more public services online, including tax payments, payments of fines for traffic violations, and other government transactions, to make them “swift, accessible and more convenient.”
“We will use technology to promote transparency and accountability. We will do this by limiting or removing physical contact and human discretion in all transactions with the city government,” she stated.
“So tonight, please join me in offering a toast to our present and future partnerships; to stronger ties between the city government and the private sector; and finally, to our Makatizens for joining our historic journey towards digital transformation,” Binay concluded.
The Vin d’honneur was one of the highlights of the ten-day ‘Makati Makisalo’ festivities commemorating the city’s 348th founding anniversary.