BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – As the first Philippine city to join the UN-Habitat Quality of Life Initiative, Baguio continues to work together with other cities around the world to create more inclusive, sustainable, resilient and equitable urban communities.
City Planning, Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) Head Ar. Donna Rillera Tabangin said the City of Pines is now part of an exclusive network of 100 cities across five continents.
“From the Summer Capital of the Philippines, Baguio is now a global leader in urban sustainability,” she said.
Tabangin said that from bustling metropolises and mega cities to coastal communities worldwide, the Quality of Life Initiative is scaling up to 100 cities by the end of 2025.
“These cities are taking bold steps to integrate quality of life data into urban policy and planning to make cities more inclusive, sustainable, resilient, and equitable. We welcome new cities which are well represented across 5 continents – their leadership and innovation will shape the future of urban living,” she said.
The Quality of Life Initiative provides a powerful framework to measure and improve urban well-being across nine key domains: basic services and mobility, culture and recreation, economy, education, environment, governance, health and well-being, housing, and social cohesion.
“By leveraging cutting-edge data sources like satellite imagery, mobile data, and social media surveys, the city will gain valuable insights to inform sustainable urban policies that truly respond to what our citizens value most,” Tabangin stressed.
She disclosed that the draft Quality of Life Survey Tool is currently being pre-tested by the city government under Mayor Benjamin Magalong spearheaded by the CPDSO and the final version will be published for the public to take part in the initiative.
She said Baguio is proud to be leading the way for Philippine cities in this important global initiative to advance the UN’s Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development which is a global plan to achieve “peace and prosperity for people and the planet” by 2030, encompassing 17 Sustainable Development Goals. (Gaby B. Keith-Baguio PIO)
