Makati wins smart city award

MANILA, Philippines — Makati bagged third place in the Efficient Government category of the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO) Awards this year, Mayor Abby Binay announced yesterday.

Goyang City in South Korea took first place while Russian capital Moscow placed second.

The Makati government was supposed to host this year the fifth WeGO General Assembly, a gathering of over 200 cities who are WeGO members, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Makati officials will receive the award during an online meeting of the organization’s executive committee in November.

Binay cited the use of the Makatizen Card and the Makatizen App in responding to emergencies and streamlining government transactions, which was recognized by the international organization.

She said another innovation is the city’s initiative of automated distribution of financial assistance to over 500,000 residents when she presented the city’s efforts during the WeGO Smart Health Responder Webinar in late May.