To keep Local Government Units (LGUs) abreast of the innovations and merits smart and creative cities bring, the Local Government Regional Resource Center 6 (LGRRC6) once again held a Development Talk on October 19th at the JR Hall of Diversion 21 Hotel, Iloilo City.

A part of the celebration of the 31st Local Government Code Anniversary, this 2022 DevTalk edition focused on the concepts of smart and creative LGUs as current local governance trends lean towards urban regeneration and local economic development.

Associate Professor Dr. Jung Won Sonn of the University College London tackled the importance of creativity in policy-making and how new industries impact the success of both cities and workers among regions.

Meanwhile, Dr. Park Joon, Associate Professor at the University of Seoul, emphasized ICT based urban solutions, better governance, sustainability, and decent urbanization as the four pillars of the Smart City system.

Moreover, Representative Christopher V.P. De Venecia of the 4th District of Pangasinan simplified his talk on The Creative Industry and Local Economic Development by likening it to PIE. This means that within the Philippine Creative Cities Network, Infrastructure Investment and through Education, local governments can be brought to a pivotal stage where they could become creative cities or even creative capitals and hubs in their respective regions.

After all the discussions, the workshop entitled “Smart and Creative LGU, Who?” facilitated by LGCDD Chief Christian M. Nagaynay allowed the participants, composed of local government officials, to pen their ideas on what Smart and Creative Cities should be.

Before the event capped off, Mayor Mary Jean Te of Libertad, Antique and Sonia Fontanilla-Pimentel of the Philippine Society for Public Administration sounded off their reactions and provided insights on the various topics tackled. #