Legazpi City recognized as one of the Smarter Cities during the 2019 NSTW Celebration in Pasay City

Mayor Rosal on his discussion about SWM of Legazpi City

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) celebrated its annual National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) last 17-21 July 2019 with the theme “Science for the People: Enabling Technologies for Sustainable Development”. One of the highlights of the said event is the Cluster on Sustainable Cities and Communities. Eight Local Government Units from the Philippines were showcased in the exhibit representing its best programs in attaining the SUSTAINABLE, SMART and RESILIENT CITIES. City of Legazpi showcased the Disaster Risk Reduction Management / Climate Change Master Control Program initiatives, and the Solid Waste Management program of the City.

City Mayor Noel E. Rosal of LGU Legazpi presented the Solid Waste Management Program of the City during the Mayor’s Forum (Issues and Trends in Sustaining Development in Philippine Cities: A Science Governance for Challenge) on 21 July 2019 at the World Trade Center. He discussed about the current programs being implemented in the City, the problems encountered and good practices in the implementation of the program, and their sustainability plans for the next 10 years thru the help of public and private partnerships.

During the open forum, he said that part of his dream for Legazpi City is to have a good power supply, more investment on infrastructure, national and international linkages, investment ready (to create more jobs like business process outsourcing), and to become an economic zone like Iloilo City. He also shared that the best practice they implemented in school is the Earth Savers Program, an Information Education Campaign wherein school children were taught to segregate wastes and in return they give notebooks, pencils, books, rice, etc..

They started with six (6) elementary schools in 2015 and now they have nineteen (19) schools being adopted. When asked on what help the Legazpi City needs, he candidly said that improvement in shelter for the less fortunate people and providing them with good infrastructure are the immediate needs to be addressed. He also shared that after 10 years, he wanted Legazpi City to strengthen its resiliency, be able to come up with a master plan (local development council), strengthen the provinces, and become an investment area.

In his closing message, Mayor Rosal said that “Governance is a shared responsibility”. The people and stakeholders are the key players in the effective governance of a community. (F.B. Banda, RPMO, DOST V)

Hon. Noel E. Rosal together with DOST executives