In addressing the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government should adopt the smart city concept and smart governance framework for seamless service delivery and sustainable development. Smart cities are not new in the Philippines; there are existing smart city designs like those in the New Clark City, Makati City, and Davao City. To take advantage of these smart systems, there should be a proper legal framework stipulating protocols and standards as well as public and stakeholder participation. Long-term planning, proactive infrastructure, human capacity build-up, responsive and focused leadership, and public participation and trust are also important. The country can learn from its Southeast Asian peers’ smart system initiatives, such as Singapore's Smart Nation Initiative and South Korea's digital governance. Adopting smart solutions must consider the political, physical, technological, economic, and sociocultural requirements.
Smart systems and smart governance are among the topics featured in this year’s Development Policy Research Month (DPRM) celebration.
Click the link of the DPRM website (https://dprm.pids.gov.ph/) to know more about this year’s DPRM theme and activities.
The content of this slide show was based on the PIDS discussion paper titled “Innovating governance: Building resilience against COVID-19 pandemic and other risks”.
Download the full text here: https://www.pids.gov.ph/publications/7126.
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