SM Prime Holdings Inc. is keen on partnering with interested parties to develop the properties within the 360-hectare SM Smart City in Pasay City, according to its executive committee chairman Hans Sy Sr.
“It’s a five-year project. It started two years ago, so we still have three more years to go. When we say five years by that time, you’ll see some other structures going up,” Sy told reporters on the sidelines of the National Retail Association’s National Retail Conference and Expo 2024 at the SMX Convention Center on Friday.
Read more: PH: Property giant open to partnerships for smart city
The city government of Borongan in Eastern Samar will launch by September a digital platform designed to enhance the delivery of healthcare services.
Identified as one of the initiatives under the Smart and Sustainable Cities Program, the local government will come up with a "comprehensive patient database, seamlessly connecting medical needs" with city social services, the "Libreng Medisina" (free medicine) program, and the soon-to-open city infirmary's laboratory and x-ray services.
Read more: PH: Eastern Samar: Borongan City develops digital platform for improved healthcare
Often referred to as the “dormitory town” of Metro Manila, the City of San Pedro, Laguna, aims to veer away from the moniker and reintroduce what it can offer to residents, tourists and investors.
“‘That’s what we’re known for right now—as a residential community with plenty of residents working in other cities. That is what we want to change,” Mayor Art Joseph Francis Mercado told the Inquirer.
Read more: PH: Laguna: San Pedro moving to become ‘smart city’ by 2032
The City of Victorias in Negros Occidental is making significant strides in digital governance by collaborating with a mobile commerce services company for an expanded program to further empower the local government unit (LGU), micro, small and medium enterprises, and its residents.
“It is our vision to have a digitally inclusive and innovative city, where all will benefit from the advantages of going digital,” Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez said in a statement on Thursday.
Read more: PH: Negros Occidental: Victorias City makes significant strides in LGU digital innovation
As centers of commerce, growth and innovation, cities play a crucial role in driving not only national but also global economic progress. They contribute more than 80 percent of global GDP.
Since cities provide more and better economic opportunities as well as better access to key services than in rural areas, people are naturally drawn to cities.
Read more: PH: The importance of cities and good urban governance