Makati lone finalist in Asia-Pacific for World Smart Cities Awards

MAKATI City is the sole finalist representing the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region in the City Award category of the 2023 World Smart Cities Awards.

Mayor Mar-Len Abigail Binay 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,» Binay said.

She said this is the first time Makati became a finalist in the City Award category.

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

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

Binay said Makati is competing against five other cities: Sunderland, United Kingdom; Cascais, Portugal; İzmir, Turkey; Curitiba, Brazil; and Barranquilla, Colombia.

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

She said the World Smart Cities Awards event presents an opportunity for Makati not only to showcase its initiatives «but also to share insights, learn from others, and foster international collaboration for building smarter, more sustainable cities worldwide.»

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.

Binay said the Makati Command Control and Communications Center