Too many Local Government Units (LGU) still rely on old systems, agencies are wary about sharing, and there’s no national ‘must-do’ to make data sharing the norm.
Ever sat through rush hour in Metro Manila, wondering why we can’t seem to fix traffic, waste, flooding, or even outbreaks of disease? We have the answers all around us, buried in mountains of data that simply refuse to talk to each other.
As Metro Manila races toward greater urbanization, we find ourselves caught in a web of traffic jams, trash woes, climate threats, and a stubborn digital divide. The government has rolled out dozens of projects aimed at making our cities more livable under the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11). Yet there’s a critical, often-overlooked piece: data interoperability.
Data interoperability means that different systems and organizations don’t just hoard their data—they share it in a way everyone can understand and use. It’s not just some IT buzzword; it’s the glue that holds smart cities together. Studies are clear: the cities that figure out how to make their data “speak” to each other are the ones making real progress on SDG 11.
Let’s make this real. Every LGU logs waste schedules and routes. Private haulers keep their own records. Health offices monitor diseases tied to poor sanitation. But without a way for this data to talk, we’re left making guesses—and missing big opportunities to connect the dots. We’re not short on information; we’re drowning in silos and lost potential.
Here’s why getting our data to talk matters for all of us:
Better Urban Planning: If MRT-3’s ridership and MMDA’s traffic feeds finally merge with local business data, we could re-route traffic faster or spot communities left behind by infrastructure—you would feel the difference on your daily commute.
Transparency: Imagine your barangay’s water quality test results feeding straight into a national dashboard. It’s not just good for trust; it means smart budgeting and real-time accountability.
Real Collaboration: Sustainable cities will only succeed if everyone shares in the effort. When telcos, universities, NGOs, and businesses can plug into the same data ecosystem, we all benefit—faster responses, smarter innovations, better planning.
So what’s slowing us down? We need to admit it: too many LGUs still rely on old systems, agencies are wary about sharing, and there’s no national “must-do” to make data sharing the norm.
But we’re not starting from scratch. The government’s Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 talks about data integration. The DICT’s open data projects are promising. But now we need action, not just plans.
If Metro Manila truly wants to be a model of SDG 11, we have to stop thinking of data interoperability as some back-office project. It’s the foundation of sound governance—and it needs buy-in from everyone: each barangay captain, mayor, startup, and citizen.
Business and tech should offer solutions that work for everyone, not just their own bottom line. Civil society must demand transparency and privacy. Together, we can break the silos and make smarter cities a reality.
Because, at the end of the day, building a smarter Metro Manila isn’t just about new gadgets or apps. It’s about creating cities that listen to us, learn from us, and work with us. And that starts by making sure our data—yours and mine—can finally talk.
Let’s make it happen.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Jake Go
Dieser Artikel ist neu veröffentlicht von / This article is republished from: Manila Standard, 24.08.2025
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