A team of IBM experts from IBM’s Corporate Service Corp (CSC) program recently collaborated with the local government leaders of the city of Santa Rosa Laguna to provide strategic recommendations to accelerate its growth agenda.
Recognized by the Department of Science and Technology as a Smart City, and dubbed, Investment Capital of Southern Luzon, Santa Rosa continues to benefit from an influx of investment from a cross-section of industries including automotive, manufacturing, real estate and IT BPO. Faced with rapid urbanization and development, the city is looking to identify new and sustainable avenues for growth.
Through the IBM Corporate Service Corps program, a global team of top performing IBM experts worked alongside local government leaders on the following focus areas:
Traffic Management Planning
The Traffic Management Planning Project Team worked with the City Planning Office to develop a framework for measuring and analyzing the traffic situation in Santa Rosa. The team worked with the Planning Office as well as the City Traffic Management and Enforcement Office to; identify a traffic study area and stakeholders, conduct a site survey and traffic study, analyze the results and make recommendations supported by the analysis.
Social Welfare Information System
The IBM team worked on near-term solutions and longer-term recommendations in an effort to help enable the effective delivery of citizen services for the indigent population through process, Social Welfare Information System recommendations and Citizen Awareness.
Business Planning for Technology Business Incubator
The IBM Team worked with Laguna Industry Network for Knowledge, Innovation and Technology (LINK-IT) to develop a business plan for their proposed Technology Business Incubator (TBI). The intention of the TBI is to develop small & medium sized businesses and grow them to be sustainable enterprises through the use of technology. The team worked with the Mayor’s office to develop the deliverables to ensure the successful launch and ongoing progress of the TBI.
Social Marketing for Social Change/Crime Information Management System
The IBM Team worked with the Santa Rosa City Police to analyze its records system for managing the crime statistics for the city. Analysis of this system will mainly involve working with the police officers responsible for this process. The team also supported the officers in utilizing social media to gain a better understanding of how they can effectively utilize social media to demonstrate their commitment and communicate better with their technologically-savvy citizens.
“Having had the privilege to call the Philippines a home over the last 77 years and Santa Rosa, Laguna as our hub for global process services over the last two years, IBM is committed to enabling socio-economic growth through programs such as the Corporate Service Corps (CSC),” said Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, President and Country General Manager, IBM Philippines. “Through the CSC, we are able to share expertise that would enable the transformation and growth of emerging countries such as the Philippines and cities like Sta. Rosa, to lead in the era of cognitive.”
“The city of Santa Rosa is really fortunate to be the recipient of this year’s IBM Corporate Service Corps program. The time, talent and knowledge shared by the IBM Corps on the identified city projects (traffic management, peace and order, social welfare and local economic development) are deeply appreciated and valued by the city government,” said Hon. Arlene Arcillas, Mayor of Santa Rosa. I believe that this program will open up future programs/ partnership between IBM and the city government. Thank you IBM, and more power.”
The Corporate Service Corps was launched in 2008 to provide IBMers with high quality leadership development while delivering high quality problem solving for communities and organizations in emerging markets. During the assignment, participants perform community-driven economic development projects, working at the intersection of business, technology, and society.
In the last 6 years, 14 Teams have been to the Philippines to work with government and NGOs in projects that resulted to some game-changing innovations such as the Intelligent Operations Center for Public Safety in Davao, or the now-launched and widely adopted Smarter Analytics Education curriculum which also started as CSC engagement with the Commission on Higher Education. 15 Filipino IBMers have likewise traveled to Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and South America as CSC volunteers.
Photo shows (from left) Ermin Lucinp, City Planning and Development Coordinator, Santa Rosa; Arnold Arcillas City Information Technology Head, City of Santa Rosa, Iona Topler, IBM CSC; Ann Taylor, IBM CSC; Mayor Arlene Arcillas, City Mayor of Santa Rosa; Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, President and Country General Manager, IBM Philippines; Brian Kulak, IBM CSC; James Hunter, IBM CSC; Brian Kulak, IBM CSC, Ms. Judith Hasil, City Social Welfare and Development Officer, Santa Rosa; P/Supt. Pergentino N. Malabed, Santa Rosa PNP.
