Mayor Isko unveils vision for high-tech Manila public library
Published Sep 15, 2025 03:42 pm
The local government Manila is building a five-story public library in Sta. Cruz that promises to be both high-tech and community-friendly, with Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno" Domagoso announcing that the facility will be equipped with Apple computers and devices to attract young learners.
During the groundbreaking of the Manila–San Francisco Friendship Library on September 15, Domagoso said he was confident that young people would be drawn to the new facility once it opens, noting that the city plans to install Apple computers to make it more appealing to today’s generation.
The library will rise along Alvarez Street, on the site of an 80-year-old structure that was recently demolished.
It will include a children’s section, study areas, a librarian’s office, four offices, four warehouses, and a pantry.
Domagoso explained that while the library will continue to offer physical books, it will also embrace technology to ensure that residents of all ages, from children to senior citizens, have access to modern learning tools and equal opportunities.
Manila City Library Officer-in-Charge Mylene Villanueva said the project builds on the city’s recent recognition as the “Most Innovative Public Library” by the National Library of the Philippines for its digital literacy program for senior citizens. She added that the new facility aims to sustain this momentum and expand access to more learners.
Domagoso framed the project as part of the city government’s broader investment in what he calls the “minimum basic needs” of Manileños: housing, education, healthcare, and jobs.
He pointed to the recently inaugurated President Corazon C. Aquino General Hospital in Baseco and the planned College of Medicine of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila as parallel efforts to create more opportunities for residents.