Makati finalist in 2023 World Smart Cities Awards 

Makati Mayor Abby Binay today said the city is the sole finalist representing the Philippines and the entire Asia-Pacific region under the highly coveted City Award category of the 2023 World Smart Cities Awards.

The mayor said the city's entry titled "Makati City's IoT Revolution: Empowering the City to Become Better Stewards of Energy & Environment" showcases the city's 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 Abby said. 

The mayor said this is the first time Makati became a finalist under the City Award category.

She noted that the process for qualifying in this category is more challenging than the others, making it a significant achievement for the city. 

It is the top category with stringent requirements among the categories of the awards, including Innovation, Leadership, and Project. 

According to Smart City Expo World Congress website, the City Award is "awarded to cities for developed global strategies combining projects, initiatives and policy implementations for their citizens."

Mayor Abby said Makati is competing against five other cities from around the globe in the City Award category, namely, Sunderland, United Kingdom; Cascais, Portugal; %u0130zmir, Turkey; Curitiba, Brazil; and Barranquilla, Colombia. 

The mayor said she will be attending the awarding ceremony on November 8 at Fira Barcelona Gran Via, one of the largest fair venues in Europe.  

She said the forthcoming World Smart Cities Awards event will provide the opportunity for Makati to present its initiatives alongside the 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," Mayor Abby said.

The city's ongoing projects together with Packetworx Inc. include the installation of state-of-the-art smart meters aimed at optimizing energy and water consumption in public schools, noise pollution sensors to continuously monitor urban noise levels and ensure a peaceful living environment, indoor and outdoor air quality monitors to assess and manage air quality, and asset trackers utilizing advanced LoRaWAN technology to enhance resource management throughout the city.

Mayor Abby said 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 and response.  

At present, the mayor continues to strengthen partnerships with international organizations, the private sector, and academe to further enhance the city's initiatives. This multi-faceted approach ensures that Makati remains at the forefront of innovation and sustainability for the benefit of its residents and the global community.

The World Smart Cities Award, which is 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. The annual congress, held in Spain by Fira de Barcelona since 2011, stands as the world's most prominent and impactful event dedicated for urban innovation, uniting global leaders, companies, academia, and citizens to tackle the world's pressing challenges. 

Makati joined the SCEWC for the first time in 2019 and made it as one of the top six finalists in the Innovation category of the said awards through its project titled "Use of technology to improve city disaster preparedness and communication to and from city citizens. " It showcased the use of Makatizen App, the country's first digital citizen app where users can report any emergency by tapping its SOS button. 

The mayor has also accepted the World Smart Cities Awards organizers’ invitation to participate in the high-level roundtable discussion on the topic “From Climate Goals to Action: Cities Taking Charge” on November 8. 

Earlier this year, Makati started installing solar panels in public schools to reduce costs, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. In just one school, 88 percent (3,644 kWh) of the total electricity consumption came from solar-powered energy, while the remaining 12 percent (498 kWh) were sourced from the usual electric distribution utility company. 

By end-November, Mayor Abby will go to Dubai to fulfill her role as a distinguished member of the COP 28 UAE Advisory Committee. She is the only mayor in the world and the sole representative from the Philippines to receive this prestigious invitation. She is also a board member of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy (GCoM) for Southeast Asia and a member of the United Nations Secretary-General's Advisory Group on Local and Regional Governments.