TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Tabuk City is one of the five communities in Luzon and Mindanao that the ASEAN Council and the Smart Communities Global Network will be aiding, according to Mr. Kok Chin Tay, Chairman of the Smart Cities Network and Executive Director of the ASEAN-Smart Cities Council.
City Public Information Officer and Tabuk Smart City focal person Aurora Amilig had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Tay and other international Smart City leaders during the International Smart City Exposition and Networking Engagement on March 25, 2023 in Cauayan City, Isabela. These leaders included Dr. Bert Grobben, a senior Corporate Global Open Innovation leader and CEO, Mr. Dominic Wilhem, MSc, the Executive Director of United Leaders Centre at United Cities, and other smart cities experts from Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.
Tay included Tabuk City in his itinerary of local government units (LGUs) in Luzon and Mindanao that he will be visiting this year to aid in their Smart City ambitions after learning about the city’s eagerness to join the ranks of Smart Cities in the Philippines.
Tay said they are prepared to provide financial and technical support to LGUs that demonstrate sincerity and dedication in establishing a Smart City. Tay is focused on assisting in the development of smart and sustainable cities in Southeast Asia.
Additionally, he was able to meet with Dexy Catacutan, the Kalinga Provincial Officer of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), to confirm DOST’s commitment to and support of the city’s intention to join the list of smart and sustainable cities in the Philippines.