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Butuan’s Data-Driven Initiative to Empower Local Farmers

Submitted by admin on Fri, 10/29/2021 - 12:26

Liveable Cities Challenge congratulates Butuan City for being selected as one of two cities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia (the other city is Manila) by Bloomberg Philanthropies in the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge.

Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada’s digital and data-driven approach in transforming the city’s agricultural ecosystem represents one of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ leading top 50 innovative solutions in the 2021 Mayors Challenge.  

Butuan’s Data-Driven Initiative to Empower Local Farmers

Published on October 29, 2021

Early this year, Liveable Cities partnered with the Bloomberg Global Mayors Challenge to encourage Philippine cities to participate in this competition. Fifty-two Philippine cities submitted entries and two -- Manila and Butuan -- were eventually selected as Top 50 cities and eligible for the final round where 15 winners will be selected. 

Liveable Cities Challenge congratulates Butuan City for being selected as one of two cities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia (the other city is Manila) by Bloomberg Philanthropies in the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge.

Butuan City Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada’s digital and data-driven approach in transforming the city’s agricultural ecosystem represents one of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ leading top 50 innovative solutions in the 2021 Mayors Challenge. As one of this year’s champion cities, Butuan had exclusive access to Bloomberg’s network of innovation experts and dedicated funding to test and refine their proposals from June until October 2021. 

In the face of the pandemic’s enormous challenges, Butuan City felt the urgent need to address food and nutrition insecurity in their city. Even with a vast agricultural mass of land, it continues to rely on vegetable imports from other cities and suffers from high rates of hunger and food insecurity. As the city confronts these challenges, how can Butuan make the most of their land and help farmers produce food more sustainably and efficiently? 

 


Photo by: Butuan PIO
 

Because of this, Mayor Lagnada launched a data-driven initiative that uses predictive analytics to upskill farmers and transform the agribusiness value chain system in the city. Through demand forecasts and price prediction models, farmers will have the ability to gather agricultural insights on the type and amount of crops to plant and fix commodity prices on their local food production. This initiative aims to increase vegetable production to 150% by 2023, raise farmers’ income by 50%, and reduce the average vegetable retail price by 50%. This proposed solution will also ensure an adequate supply of affordable and nutritious food while improving food logistics and the agricultural value chain system – transforming Butuan into a self-sustaining city.

Through this business model, local farmers and cities altogether will be able to utilize data and make more informed decisions that will drive a more sustainable and inclusive food ecosystem. 

Ever since the competition launched, Liveable Cities Challenge Philippines has been promoting Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge to all Philippine mayors nationwide. In this final round, we will continue to support and help our two cities, Manila and Butuan City, through our mentoring services to make them winners of this year’s global Mayors Challenge. 

Go Manila: Building the City’s First Data Digital Infrastructure

Submitted by admin on Fri, 10/29/2021 - 12:21

Liveable Cities Challenge congratulates the City of Manila for being selected as one of two cities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia (the other city is Butuan) by Bloomberg Philanthropies in the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge.

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno '' Domagoso's GO Manila initiative, a city-wide and data-driven digital infrastructure, has been recognized by Bloomberg as one of the top 50 urban transformative innovations for the Mayors’ Challenge ⁠— making the nation’s capital a finalist for the Championship phase in this year’s competition. 

Go Manila: Building the City’s First Data Digital Infrastructure

Published on October 29, 2021

Photo by: Bloomberg Philanthropies

Early this year, Liveable Cities partnered with the Bloomberg Global Mayors Challenge to encourage Philippine cities to participate in this competition. Fifty-two Philippine cities submitted entries and two -- Manila and Butuan -- were eventually selected as Top 50 cities and eligible for the final round where 15 winners will be selected. 

Liveable Cities Challenge congratulates the City of Manila for being selected as one of two cities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia (the other city is Butuan) by Bloomberg Philanthropies in the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge.

Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno '' Domagoso's GO Manila initiative, a city-wide and data-driven digital infrastructure, has been recognized by Bloomberg as one of the top 50 urban transformative innovations for the Mayors’ Challenge ⁠— making the nation’s capital a finalist for the Championship phase in this year’s competition. As the city advanced to the second phase, Manila was able to test and refine its proposal with technical assistance from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ network of international innovation experts from June through October. 

For years, Manila has been struggling to find quantitative and current data - a crucial and integral component in determining and tracking city performance. After its attempt to gather data in 2006 through the “Manila Socio-Economic and Physical Profile” program, there has never been any other serious initiative to solve the underlying challenge of the city’s lack of data. Without comprehensive and reliable data, how can its city government fully address and understand the challenges that its 1.8 million Manilenos face every day? 

Photo by: City of Manila

To resolve this, Mayor Isko Moreno proposed Go Manila, the city’s first-ever multi-dimensional digital infrastructure designed to upskill city government and uplift its residents in a cross-cutting strategy of improving access to digital education, expediting government and business transactions through contactless city services, increasing disease surveillance, and achieving digital competency by 2023 for the citizens of Manila. This initiative also encourages improved policies and programs that will drive better governance, influence policy-making decisions, and promote transparency in the local government.  

Building this digital ecosystem will not only benefit the city long-term but can also serve as a model for other cities, globally and locally, that identify with the same challenge. 

For the past few months, Liveable Cities Challenge has been encouraging cities and municipalities nationwide to join the Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Mayors Challenge. As we enter the final phase, we are committed to helping our two Philippine cities, Manila and Butuan, earn a spot in the top 15 grand prize winners of the 2021 Global Mayors Challenge. 

 

 

 

Green Buildings and Open Spaces: Nathaniel “Dinky” von Einsiedel

Submitted by manager on Fri, 09/17/2021 - 02:06

TOWARDS GREEN AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Liveable cities

Published on August 25, 2021

TOWARDS GREEN AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

ASSURE President Nathaniel “Dinky” von Einsiedel’s presentation centers on the spatial implications of the pandemic and the necessary urban developments that can mitigate the spread of future contagions and reduce adverse social, economic, and environmental impacts on cities. All these as we build greener and healthier communities.

Regions, cities and down to neighborhoods have all experienced drastic changes due to the health crisis. The pandemic has revealed the vulnerabilities of supply chains and the inequitable distribution of essential services on both a regional and city scale. Border closures and lockdowns have limited the movement of people, goods, and services - ultimately affecting transport and logistics systems and the connectivity between urban and rural areas.

To meet this challenge, building resilient supply chains involves integrating logistics and a mobility network in land use and transport plans. The presentation also provides striking examples of compact, 15-minute neighborhoods and repurposed public spaces for emergency and disaster use.

 “Cities with a more equitable and accessible distribution of basic services were able to manage risks in their communities - emphasizing that well-planned and spatially equitable cities were more resilient to health crises and future shocks,” Dinky concluded.

 

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Green Buildings and Open Spaces: Mayor Jerry Treñas

Submitted by manager on Fri, 09/17/2021 - 02:05

PARTNERSHIPS FOR A LIVEABLE ILOILO CITY

Situated in the heart of the Philippine archipelago, Iloilo is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. However, it is also home to the Ilonggos who face the risks brought by natural and human-induced hazards.

Liveable cities

Published on August 25, 2021

PARTNERSHIPS FOR A LIVEABLE ILOILO CITY

Situated in the heart of the Philippine archipelago, Iloilo is one of the top tourist destinations in the country. However, it is also home to the Ilonggos who face the risks brought by natural and human-induced hazards.

To address this, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas shared their collective efforts in creating a resilient and sustainable city amidst the socio-economic challenges brought about by the pandemic. With rapid urbanization, Iloilo continues to embark on a massive tree planting and environment-friendly activities.

The city expanded its communal urban vegetable garden project called the “ediscape” or edible landscape. One year after the program was launched in 12 barangays in August last year, 36 more villages joined in, this time integrating farming with fishery and poultry. The updated comprehensive land use plan is also being finalized to keep track with improvements and competitiveness of the vibrant and liveable metropolis.

Other green projects currently implemented and in the pipeline include:

1. Iloilo Beach Forest - a 3-hectare project to be implemented in partnership with DENR and DPWH

2. Iloilo City Tree Park - a 3-hectare tree park in Jaro that will be planted with endemic trees

3. Green Tunnels - situated along the bike lanes in Diversion Road

4. Mini-forest - to be built in the open spaces in subdivisions

5. Mangrove Eco Park - a 35-hectare mangrove forest development in La Paz with support from DENR and a private company.

Tree planting and coastal clean-up continue to be part of the efforts to mitigate climate change, as the city was looking at harnessing more renewable energy.

Mayor Jerry Treñas concluded by underscoring the importance of LGU and private sector collaboration in building progress, green and sustainable communities.

 

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Green Buildings and Open Spaces: Cathy Saldana

Submitted by manager on Fri, 09/17/2021 - 02:03

GREEN BUILDINGS IN LIVEABLE CITIES

Liveable cities

Published on August 25, 2021

GREEN BUILDINGS IN LIVEABLE CITIES

Architect Cathy Saldana outlined the criteria for the liveability of cities as: stability, healthcare, education, culture, and environment. These correlate with the standard of environmental and social components, which look into: employment and economic opportunities, education and skills development, health and safety, equality, and community engagement and benefit.

In terms of a liveable structure, it is crucial to transport and mobility- the location of a building and its proximity to key establishments like supermarkets, hospitals, schools, and its accessibility to public transportation, including amenities for cyclists and pedestrians. It should also consider the environmental indoor quality, such as: daylight and outdoors views, access to thermal comfort, visual comfort, acoustic comfort, indoor air quality, low VOC environment, microbial contamination prevention, and others.

Architect Cathy listed key recommendations that would promote green buildings in liveable cities:

1. For policymakers to enact a national legislation that provides tax incentives and other measures that would encourage investing in green buildings,

2. For architects and planners to raise the standards and adopt a more liveable approach

3. For LGUs to pass ordinances that would ensure that structures are built according to green standards

“It is important that going green is embodied in our culture and is a public responsibility.”

 

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Green Buildings and Open Spaces: Paulo Alcazaren

Submitted by manager on Fri, 09/17/2021 - 02:01

FROM GREY TO GREEN

The World Health Organization recommends a minimum provision for nine square meters of public park and open space (PPOS) for every city resident.  Unfortunately, for a person living in Metro Manila, reports say they only have one square meter of PPOS.

Liveable cities

Published on August 25, 2021

FROM GREY TO GREEN

The World Health Organization recommends a minimum provision for nine square meters of public park and open space (PPOS) for every city resident.  Unfortunately, for a person living in Metro Manila, reports say they only have one square meter of PPOS.

According to Architect Paulo Alcazaren, this really seems a daunting task. Besides very few parks and open spaces, which have been built in the past 60 years, cities in the Philippines also need to allocate land area for three: (1) affordable public housing (with a backlog of 5-6 million housing units nationwide), (2) hospitals (very important now, more than ever), and (3) mobility infrastructure.

Paulo presented how public spaces can be clawed back from the already cramped spaces of the city through smaller scale initiatives.

This ‘grey to green’ transformation may be in the form of a few square meters of piazzas and esplanades, a couple of kilometers of sidewalks and riverbanks, repurposed rooftops of existing buildings, pocket parks and patios, and revitalized city plazas. Another approach is to consider not just space but also time. For example, could school grounds be opened for the enjoyment of local residents, when there are no classes.

As with many complex urban challenges, there really is no single solution, but rather a matrix of fixes must be employed, aimed at delivering a range of benefits, taken together will amount to a substantial improvement.

 

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Report III

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Report II

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Report I

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Manila and Butuan hailed as two of Top 50 champion cities for Bloomberg’s Mayors Challenge

Submitted by manager on Tue, 06/15/2021 - 16:11

Liveable Cities Challenge Philippines congratulates the City of Manila and Butuan City for making it to the top 50 cities that will advance to the Championship phase of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2021 Mayors Challenge.  Manila and Butuan were among the eight cities in Asia-Pacific which made it to the global 50 and the only two cities in Southeast Asia.

Liveable cities

Published on June 15, 2021

Liveable Cities Challenge Philippines congratulates the City of Manila and Butuan City for making it to the top 50 cities that will advance to the Championship phase of the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ 2021 Mayors Challenge.  Manila and Butuan were among the eight cities in Asia-Pacific which made it to the global 50 and the only two cities in Southeast Asia.

Other Asia-Pacific cities in the top 50 included Auckland (New Zealand), Daegu (South Korea), Pune (India), Rourkela (India), Taipei (Taiwan), and Wellington (New Zealand).

Out of 631 applications received by Bloomberg Philanthropies worldwide, a total of 52 Philipppine cities and municipalities submitted their entries last March to the competition. With the competition entering its second phase, Manila and Butuan will be granted the opportunity to enhance their proposals to compete for the final round of 15 winners. The top 15 will be granted awards of US$1 million each plus free consultancy services to implement their projects and make them a reality.

Ever since the competition launched, Liveable Cities Challenge Philippines, in partnership with the League of Cities of the Philippines, promoted the 2021 Mayors Challenge to Philippine cities nationwide through a series of virtual workshops. In partnership with Globe, we organized a virtual briefing with Bloomberg experts, Michael Odermatt and Eamon Nolan, and a Mentors’ Workshop with local multidisciplinary experts. Aside from the coaches that Bloomberg has provided, we were able to assemble our own pool of mentors who volunteered to guide and help cities develop the best possible applications for submission to the competition.

For its part, Globe has provided its own group of mentors to guide the LGUs in crafting their proposals. The company also supported LCC’s programs by hosting the local launch and other mentorship activities.

This year, Bloomberg Philanthropies challenged city leaders from all over the world to pitch their boldest and most transformative ideas developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cities with more than 100,000 residents were encouraged to submit their applications based on four (4) challenge themes: Health and Wellbeing, Climate and Environment, Economic recovery and Inclusive Growth, and Good governance and equality. The top 50 finalists of the competition will be coached by global experts and will be provided dedicated funding to test and refine their proposals from June - October 2021. After the Championship phase, 15 grand prize winners of the Mayors Challenge will be awarded $1 million each with additional technical support to implement and spread their breakthrough ideas.      

We would like to acknowledge the efforts of all 52 Philippine LGUs that submitted their entries for the Mayors Challenge. Indeed, this initiative has inspired and pushed leaders to develop more innovative and creative solutions to address their city’s most pressing challenges.

 

 

Read: https://bloombergcities.jhu.edu/news/2021-mayors-challenge-announcing-50...

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