In a bid to streamline services by digitizing and developing Pasig into a “smart city,” the local government launched its City-Wide Land Information Management and Automation (CliMA) project on Wednesday, July 5.
CliMA is a project of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) that seeks to “establish an automation system, anchored on a geographic information system (GIS) platform for the regulatory operations and other functions, based on existing mandates and policies such as the Pasig Zoning Ordinance.”
It aims to create a database composed of integrated sets of mapped and unmapped data “for use in the evaluations, approvals, and issuance of permits, business permitting, tax mapping and other parcellary validation.”
Screengrab from Pasig PIO of the CliMA project launch on July 5, 2023
The project requires all regulatory offices to be equipped with “advanced technology-based tools” that are accessible and developed GIS to improve their functions.
The required technology includes extensive electronic mapping solution, graphic visualization, analysis, computing and other automation operations.
CPDO Coordinator EnP. Priscella Mejillano said that the program started in 2022 under a multi-year contract, but they hope to complete the project by the end of 2023.
Geo-governance
CliMA emphasizes the concept of “geo-governance” using high technology systems to assess and deliver public services.
“Our governance is guided by the information we have in relation to our geography. It doesn’t just consist of tables, statistics, and figures, but is also based on maps,” said Joe Solomon from Swinnerton Staten Solutions Inc., the local government’s private partner for CliMA.
“We have to be equipped with high integrity in the right maps,” he added.
Screengrab from Pasig PIO of the CliMA project launch on July 5, 2023
Among the components of CliMA that have been created during its first phase were a city-wide geodatabase, a parcellary real property information system, a digital map viewing system, a customized mapping information system for the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), and a comprehensive infrastructure mapping information system.
Digitization and geo-referencing of existing non-spatial information, along with rectification and integration of all current and incoming mapping data have also been developed.
The actual automation process began during the second phase wherein the GIS-based Zoning Affairs Management Automated System (GZAMAS), Building Permit Issuance System (GBPIS), and Real Property Information and Assessment Management System (GRPIAMS) were set up; all in accordance with the city zoning ordinance.
The presentations during the launch also showcased some of the outputs that have been implemented such as the Geo-governance Executive Dashboard which provides an at-a-glance or general overview of the city’s land resources and “key performance indicators of the business of governing over its own landholdings.”
“Definitely, this will help us in our thrust towards a higher level of efficiency of government,” Sotto said.
“This will help us combat corruption, promote transparency, accountability in our government towards the ‘smart-city’ approach,” he added.
“With this new process that we’re trying to achieve, we will not only upgrade our services but, more than that, it will make our city hall offices/departments’ jobs easier. We will also be able to remove the leakages that we have,” said Jaworski.