Published on: May 23, 2023
By Vee Tolentino-Gumban
BORONGAN CITY (PIA) -- This local government unit (LGU) in Eastern Samar has taken a major step towards becoming a smart city.
This developed after the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), in collaboration with Isabela State University (ISU) - Cauayan Campus and LGU-Cauayan City, conducted a Smart City Assessment and Roadmap Formulation on May 10-12, in Borongan City.
Spearheaded by Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan C. Agda and DOST Eastern Visayas Regional Director Ernesto M. Granada, the three-day event aimed to harness smart and sustainable technologies and practices in the country to address S&T challenges in the City of Borongan, improve the quality of life of the Boronganons, and create new opportunities for economic development.
Mayor Dayan Agda expressed his excitement about the project, citing good governance and transparency as the main goal of the project implementation.
“Technology adaptation will make public service more efficient and will make civil servants more accountable to the people they serve," Mayor Agda said.
Further, Smart City Focal Person of DOST Region II, Raquel B. Santos, emphasized the importance of collaboration and partnership among different stakeholders in the community, highlighting the need for local government units, private sectors, academic institutions, and communities to work together towards a common goal of building smart and sustainable communities.
During the three-day workshop, the team helped develop Borongan City's Smart City Roadmap, which was supported by the city's departments and their strategic goals and mandates by creating an initial plan and roadmap to address current and future challenges in healthcare, education, infrastructure, security, and agriculture.
The project, which will involve synergizing the efforts of various stakeholders, including national agencies, city departments, NGOs, CSOs, and the private sector, will be led by Borongan City Information Officer Rupert Ambil II as chairperson of the smart city campaign, ensuring effective coordination and maximum resource utilization among the stakeholders.
A significant milestone for the city and the region, Borongan City is the first LGU in Eastern Visayas to take on the smart city development goal, as this highlights the city's pioneering efforts in pursuing innovative and sustainable development initiatives.
The initiative is also the result of the iSCENE2023 which offers other regions in the country the chance to implement and adopt various smart and sustainable initiatives. (MMP/VTG/PIA E. Samar)
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