By Aileen Refuerzo
BCPIO
BAGUIO CITY – The city government recorded 84 out 128 barangay are in minimum livable status, while 41 barangays were on moderately livability based on the intensive study of the livability index conducted by the City Planning Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) as part of the development of the Comprehensive Land Use Development Plan (CLUP) 2024- 2032.
Only barangay South Drive passed as a livable barangay, while Lower Dagsian and San Antonio Village showed a decrease in livability state.
The CLUP describes the physical and economic development of the city for the next eight years.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said that the livability index was created with the Barangay Digital Twin Project, to determine the current condition of the barangays.
The data will guide the city government and the barangays themselves in deciding their development goals towards being livable, inclusive, creative, sustainable and resilient in compliance with the proposed new vision of the city.
Digital Twin provides digital representations of barangays based on the audit and mapping of their existing structures and remaining natural covers.
CPDSO Coordinator Arch. Donna Tabangin said that the livability parameters used in the analysis of the barangays were localized based on the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Philippine Development Plan.
The indicators used were set by urban planners and experts who collaborated with the city government in the creation of the CLUP.
These are: Healthy areas (based on proximity to the district health centre, community hand washing stations, liquid waste management, solid waste management and land ownership); In food sources (urban food/survival gardens, satellite markets, good preparation enterprises); Safety and Security from Crime (crime rate, roadblocks, response time to emergency events); Economic Opportunities (livelihood projects, financial empowerment projects, MSME support services, electricity connection, internet connection)
Accessibility (type of access to barangay and internal communities, ramps on sidewalks and public building entrances, pedestrian paths, sheltered public utility jeepney waiting area, accessibility of residences; Mobility options (close to school or barangay hall, with off-street pick-up and dropoff points, connected sidewalks and traffic accidents;
Availability of essential retail and services (MSMEs for essentials); Safety and Security from Hazards (climate and seismic hazard assessment, floods, landslides and sinkholes, building safety, evacuation areas and fire response time); Areas and Interaction with the Community (open space to built-up ratio, proximity to open/green spaces, parks and playgrounds, library, culture and creative facilities, outdoor sports and recreation, community civic/social activities;
Clean Water Supply (connection to water supply, water quality in rivers and streams, rainwater harvesting facilities, uncontaminated waterways) and Good Governance (financial management, business development, community involvement and transparency and accountability).
