ILOILO CITY -- Iloilo City has been named as one of 25 key cities in the country with potentials to become a digital city.
According to Joeven Tansi, executive director of the Iloilo Federation for Information Technology (IFIT), the national government, through the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), launched the digital cities during the National ICT Summit held in Cagayan De Oro City on Nov. 13-17.
Digital city is also known as smart city. In the Philippines, a local government unit has to meet at least five components of the digital cities framework to qualify as a digital city.
The digital cities framework calls for increased economic growth, ensured environmental protection, improved quality of life, job creation, and strong fiscal policy.
Tansi said the city is responsive to these criteria. “Can we declare our self as smart or digital city? Yes we can,” he said.
Iloilo City has already met six of the 12 specific components under the digital cities framework. These are smart health care, building, digital infrastructure, education, safety and security, and governance.
“Iloilo City is a prime city right now despite the negative issues that we have,” he said without mentioning the negative issues.
Tansi said Iloilo City eyes to launch the digital city title before the year ends.
To date, none of the 25 potential digital cities has been launched.
He recommended though that Iloilo City conduct an inventory of its initiatives to be declared a digital city.
Being a digital city would impact on the “quality of life of every citizen,” he said.
The cities of Roxas in Capiz and Bacolod are also among those identified as potential digital cities in Western Visayas.
From 2010 until 2016 , except 2015, Iloilo City was included in the Next Wave Cities identified through the collaborative effort of the DICT- ICT Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP).
In 2015, this city was named as Center of Excellence, also by the DICT and the IBPAP. (PNA)
