IBM team tells LGUs: Work together to solve traffic, flooding woes

THE 13 cities and municipalities in Metro Cebu should work together to address common issues and address them together.

This is one of the recommendations of the six-man team of International Business Machines (IBM) experts, who offered their expertise to local government units of Metro Cebu to help them become more competitive in the world market.

The team called the IBM Executive Service Corps (ESC) presented their recommendations about traffic and flooding to the representatives of the Metro Cebu Development Coordination Board (MCDCB) on Thursday.

IBM is  New York based multi-national technology and consulting firm.

Harald Robok, a member of the team, said there was a need to check out each of the 13 cities and municipalities’  Comprehensive Land Use Development Plans and see where they could collaborate to create a more inclusive development.

“There are existing comprehensive land use development plans that are done per LGU. What we suggest is that each LGUs can identify common issues to address together,” Robok said.

He said that issues like flooding and traffic management were areas that these LGUs could work together on.

Sunimal Ediriweera, another IBM team member, said that all types of media devices could be used for traffic management.

“We see this place is very mature when it comes to devices like cellular phones. These devices send intelligent data to the network which we can use for information,” Ediriweera said.

“By just bringing a cellphone that’s turned on, traffic managers can look at how the traffic situation is in an area through mobile movements” said Ediriweera.

“We call this Population Mobility Information which the MCDCB can pilot. The data gathered can be used for future decisions on where to build bridges and do road widenings,” he said.

David Minear, another IBM expert, said that for governance,  the MCDCB should be sustainable with a designed structure and roles.

He said the team’s recommendation had three categories which included the design, act and capitalize and sustain.

Roberto Aboitiz, MCDCB co-chairman, said he would present the recommendations to the board to determine what steps to take.

“What we have done so far is creating the structure. We have created committees already,” Aboitiz said./Reporter Aileen Garcia-Yap