IBM to help solve Metro traffic woes

MANILA, Philippines - Global information technology firm IBM is offering its expertise to help solve Metro Manila’s traffic problem.

The company announced yesterday that a team of foreign volunteers has arrived in the country to help find a solution to Metro Manila’s traffic woes, in partnership with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) as well as the city government of Makati and other local organizations. IBM’s offer of expertise is part of its Corporate Service Corps (CSC) program.

IBM volunteers would also work on education programs for out-of-school youth in the country in cooperation with the Department of Education. The program usually covers four weeks.

Metro Manila’s daily traffic nightmare is largely blamed on the increasing number of vehicles, inadequate infrastructure like roads and bridges as well as on lack of discipline among drivers.

The MMDA wants vehicles banned in Metro Manila streets for two days instead of one under the current number-coding scheme, depending on the last digit of their license plates.

The 12 IBM employee-volunteers are composed of experts from the United States, India, Japan, Brazil, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Argentina.

IBM said the volunteers will help concerned agencies improve internal processes and management systems for more efficient and effective decision-making.

“Marking its fifth anniversary, the IBM CSC program has had a very positive impact on the lives of more than 140,000 people through skills transfer and capacity building,” said Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, president and country general manager of IBM Philippines.

“In the Philippines, we are fortunate to have been a beneficiary of 13 CSC teams already since its inception in 2008. The first 12 CSC teams have successfully collaborated with a broad range of SMEs, non-government and government organizations and worked on high impact projects across emerging markets in the country,” she said.

IBM said the CSC program – considered by some as the corporate version of the Peace Corps – was developed to help IBM employees become effective 21st century global professionals and citizens while helping solve complex problems in emerging markets like the Philippines.