Baguio City ranks “Second Best in Sustainable Development in the Asia Pacific

BAGUIO CITY (November 23, 2024) --  Baguio City continue to be recognized in the Asia Pacific in its continuing pursuit of the sustainable development goals (SDG), placing second in the 3rd CityNet UNESCAP SDG City Awards program via its innovative urban program entitled "Mapping Urban Resilience: a Digital Twin to Baguio’s Livability Index."

The city, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said, was cited for pioneering the use of digital technology to enhance urban planning and resilience, believing, “it is a testament to the city's commitment to creating a sustainable, inclusive and resilient city. It also affirmed the city's status as a model for other cities striving to achieve the SDGs.”

Baguio City came in second to Busan, South Korea with its Children's Cultural Complex project. Third came Bandung, Malaysia which placed third with its entry "Transforming the Springs Conservation Area into a Public Space."

Aside from the major award, Baguio City also won the top prize in the thematic category Smart City Award again for the “Mapping Urban Resilience” case study. It shared the distinction with Subang Jaya, Malaysia for its “WhatsApp Business for City Services."

There were 350 competitor countries in the Asia Pacific Region and 70 were pre-qualified. The entries were trimmed down to ten finalists and from the pool, the top three were selected.

Baguio City Planning and Development Coordinator Donna Tabangin received the award on behalf of the city government during the awarding ceremony on November 19, 2024 in Iloilo City.

The CityNet ESCAP SDG City Awards gives recognition to innovative urban practices of local governments to address urban challenges and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Asia-Pacific.

These projects must align with the thematic categories of Inclusive City, Smart City, Circular City and Resilient City and were evaluated based on their innovation, leadership, implementation clarity, positive outcomes, long-term sustainability and replicability.

The panel of judges came from leading international organizations, including the CityNet Secretariat, United Nations-Habitat, United Nation Development Programme, and Habitat for Humanity.

Established in 1987, CityNet is an association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region. It is supported by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), UNDP and UN-Habitat. The network now has 150 municipalities, NGOs, private companies and research centers as members.