IBM brings "Smarter Planet" initiatives to Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Recognizing Cebu’s pro-active stance in becoming a “Smarter City”, technology solutions giant IBM will start talking with local government unit (LGU) executives in its bid to push Cebu as one of the best cities in the world.

Although IBM has been holding dialogues with different cities in the Philippines to embrace its “Smarter Planet” initiatives, the company is confident that Cebu will lead in the implementation of this proposal.

IBM Philippines chief technologist Lope Doromal said that the company will soon present the IBM’s proposal that targets the improvement of seven different areas to the LGU officials as well as to the provincial officials.

These seven areas that need to be improved in order for Cebu to become a “Smarter City” include; the strong implementation of smarter—telecommunication infrastructure, education, public safety, government services, transportation, energy and utilities, and smarter healthcare.

Promoting the Smarter City concept is under IBM’s global campaign of introducing a “Smarter Planet” adoption. Government officials, both in the local and national levels, are deemed as the major players for the realization of this initiative. 

Cebu, for instance, which is aiming to become a globally renowned preferred or emerged BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) destination, must immediately employ this concept, Doromal said.

In 1900, only 13 percent of the word’s population lived in cities. By the year 2050 that number will have risen to 70 percent. “We are adding the equivalent of seven New Yorks to the planet every year.”

This unprecedented urbanization is both an emblem of the world’s economic and societal progress, especially for the world’s emerging nations—and huge strain on the planet’s infrastructure.

According to Doromal, it’s a challenge felt urgently by Mayors, heads of economic development, school administrators, police chiefs, and other civic leaders.

Doromal mentioned an example of a “Smarter City”—the Masdar City, which started from scratch near Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

He said planners there are working with top scientists, engineers, and innovators to create interconnected systems and manage them through an integrated city dashboard.

Masdar City’s leaders want to be able to fine-tune their metropolis in real time—and thus shape what could be the world’s first economically and environmentally sustainable city, with zero carbon emission, as they go.

According to Doromal, the lessons they learn—both technological and in terms of citywide collaborative management—can be spread around the globe.

In the Philippines, although IBM has been promoting its “Smarter Planet” campaign, Doromal said they are still facing a lot of challenges. He however expressed confidence that pro-active cities like Cebu can immediately employ this modernized technique.

“The challenge we are facing is the challenge of system. There should be a collaboration and openness to innovation, [especially among government officials” Lope said.

The solutions presented by IBM’s “Smarter Planet” platform provides the answers of some problems the Philippines is facing today, specifically in water and power shortage problem, inadequate infrastructure, poor healthcare and public safety services, deteriorating quality of education.

Doromal said the Philippines can be proud of its leadership in telecommunication innovation and application, due to the upbeat industry movers and investors in the telecom industry.