Makati has been named the sole Philippine and Asia-Pacific finalist for the City Award category of the 2023 World Smart Cities.
The city’s entry, titled “Makati City’s IoT Revolution: Empowering the City to Become Better Stewards of Energy & Environment,” showcases its innovative use of smart initiatives to tackle real-world challenges.
“We are honored to be chosen among the top six finalists in the highly coveted City Award category of the 2023 World Smart Cities Awards. Being the only city from the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Region to make the cut makes this achievement even more noteworthy,” Mayor Abigail Binay said.
The City Award is given to cities for developed global strategies combining projects, initiatives, and policy implementations for their citizens.
Makati is competing against five other cities from around the globe in the same category — Sunderland, Cascais, İzmir, Curitiba, and Barranquilla. Mayor Binay will attend the awarding ceremony on November 8 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via.
The World Smart Cities Awards event will provide Makati the opportunity to present its initiatives alongside other esteemed global finalists.
“This platform will not only allow Makati to showcase its achievements but also to share insights, learn from others, and foster international collaboration for building smarter, more sustainable cities worldwide,” said Binay.
The city’s ongoing projects, in collaboration with Packetworx Inc., include the installation of state-of-the-art smart meters, noise pollution sensors, indoor and outdoor air quality monitors, and asset trackers using advanced LoRaWAN technology.
The Makati Command Control and Communications Center (C3) will be turned into an IoT platform to efficiently manage the city’s assets and disaster risk reduction response.
The World Smart Cities Award, held at the Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC), recognizes and promotes innovative urban initiatives that enhance the quality of life in cities around the world.
Makati joined the SCEWC in 2019 and made it as one of the top six finalists in the Innovation category through its project titled “Use of technology to improve city disaster preparedness and communication to and from city citizens.”