By Gabriela Baron
The City of Manila has improved its rank in the 2019 Innovative Cities index.
The Manila City Hall clock tower is seen illuminated with colorful lights display (MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
The country's capital moved 48 places higher in this year's global index of most innovative cities, rising to the 239th rank from its previous 297th in 2018.
More than 100 indicators were considered in the index including transport, infrastructure, citizen privacy, green architecture, property prices, startup office spaces, and internet users.
In Asia, Manila placed 38th out of 108 cities.
The index also classified Manila as a "Node" city, meaning it has a "strong performance across many innovation segments, with key imbalances or issues."
Meanwhile, New York City beat Tokyo as the world's most innovative city.