THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) declared Cauayan City in Isabela, Cagayan Valley, as the first “Smarter City” in the region and the first among 144 cities in the Philippines.
Science Secretary Mario Montejo made the pronouncement during the recent Cagayan Valley leg of DOST’s “Science Nation: Agham na Ramdam” nationwide roadshow. Cauayan City is also the first local government unit in the region to unite all its barangays in implementing Juan Time—a DOST campaign for the synchronization of all watches, clocks and time-setting devices in the country, including office bundy clocks, to abide by the Philippine standard time. Juan Time, likewise, aims to promote a culture of punctuality among Filipinos. Under the DOST Smarter Philippines Program, a Smarter City means that a city has put in place enough information communication technology (ICT) infrastructure that are “instrumented” through the merging of data, “interconnected” through networks, and “intelligent” through data trends.
Among Cauayan City’s ICT-based technologies are the Electronic Government Application System, a mobile app for iOS or Android-based phones containing tourist information, and the Cauayan City Patrol, the Cauayan City Identification System which serves as a valid government ID, a systematic and computerized police clearance process, a mobile library with laptops and Internet connection among others, and an interactive government web site (http://cityofcauayan.gov.ph/) featuring e-services.
Montejo said an ICT-based interactive system can help empower people as it aims to enhance comfort, productivity, profitability and innovation.
Achieving these goals result in synchronized action, which means faster, real-time response to present situations, such as monitoring of abnormal situations, maintaining peace and order, and the like.
In this scenario a city is considered “smarter.” The Cauayan Smarter City focuses on eight key areas: Smarter Farming; Smarter Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises; Smarter Industries; Smarter Jobs; Smarter Government; Smarter Climate-Change Adaptation; Smarter Scientists and Engineers; and Smarter Health care.
Mean while, the DOST also awarded Cauayan City with a trophy and a certificate of appreciation for being the first local government units in Cagayan Valley to adopt the Juan Time campaign and for being the first city in the Philippines to install all its 65 barangays with precision timepieces synchronized with the Philippine Standard Time as prescribed under Republic Act 10535.
“We also use Juan Time as a means of information dissemination,” said Raena Consorcia M. Santos, information analyst of Cauayan City.
This means that placed below the clock in all the city’s barangay halls are DOST weather updates and other important information that people can read as they look at the clock to know the time.
Haziel May C. Natorilla/S&T Media Service
Image credits: Gerardo Palad/ S&T Media Service
