METRO Manila ranked 94th out of 102 in a “smart city” survey seeking to gauge the use of technology in improving the lives of residents conducted by Swiss business school IMD’s World Competitiveness Center and the Singapore University of Technology and Design.
The study sought to identify how “citizens perceive the scope and impact of efforts to make their cities ‘smart,’ balancing ‘economic and technological aspects’ with ‘humane dimensions.’”
The global index took in the views of 120 residents in each city and solicited their views on their city’s health and safety, mobility, activities, opportunities, and governance.
Metro Manila had an overall rating of C, with AAA the highest and D the lowest.
The study found that the top five concerns of Metro Manila respondents were access to basic amenities, corruption, road congestion, air pollution, and security.
Metro Manila was the worst-ranked Southeast Asian city, with Singapore the top-rated city globally, followed by Zurich, Oslo, Geneva, Copenhagen, Auckland, Taipei, Helsinki, Bilbao, and Dusseldorf.
Of the region’s other cities, Ho Chi Minh City was 65th, Hanoi 66th, Kuala Lumpur 70th, Bangkok 75th, Makassar in Indonesia 80th, and Jakarta 81st.
“Smart cities are growing and blossoming in all parts of the world. Economic realities cannot be ignored: cities in poorer countries face disadvantages, which will require specific actions to correct along the path towards smartness,” said Professor Arturo Bris, Director of the IMD World Competitiveness Center. — Vince Angelo C. Ferreras
