Mandaue City poised to be ‘Smart City’ as it pivots to data and digital governance

From the DOST public archive. Original source publication date: 2026-07-15. Captured 2026-09-04. Read the original DOST source.

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DOST Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. and Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito M. Ouano taps on the screen during the ceremonial launch of Smart Mandaue Roadmap during the opening of the Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week in Central Visayas, Cebu City.

Joining forces with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST)-Central Visayas, the local government of Mandaue unveiled its plans at the opening of the Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) last July 13, 2026 toward becoming one of the first smart and sustainable cities in the region. 

During its launch, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Jovito M. Ouano introduced the “Smart Mandaue” Roadmap that targets to provide better public service and governance to the city through science, technology, and innovation (STI). 

“[Smart Mandaue] did not change where we wanted to go, it strengthened how we got there. [This] serves as our guide in using STI to help us achieve the goals we have already set for our city,” Ouano emphasized. 

Through the DOST’s Smart and Sustainable Communities Program (SSCP), Smart Mandaue encompasses better evidence-backed policy making for disaster resilience, urban planning, conservation, and community empowerment. 

Among these is the Mandaue Digital Twin, the flagship initiative of the roadmap, which will develop a digital model of the city that integrates data on traffic infrastructure, mobility, environmental conditions, and development projects into a single platform. 

“It (Mandaue Digital Twin) gives us better information, helps us anticipate challenges before they happen, and enables us to make a smarter decision while using public resources more responsibly,” Ouano explained. 

He also added that such a model is eyed to build an interactive, real-time model fusing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and the established Mandaue’s online platform, CityMap, which allows effective city operations including predicting floods or managing traffic. 

Currently, the projects under the Smart Mandaue Roadmap are set to run until 2032, focusing on governance through initiatives such as the Digital Twin, on economy via DOST’s entrepreneurship programs, on people’s welfare, and infrastructure including renewable energy sources and resiliency efforts. 

“We will continue to embrace innovation, not because technology is the future, but because it allows us to serve our people better today and build an even better Mandaue for tomorrow,” the mayor added. 

Mandaue City joins the other 152 benefitting LGUs across the country under the expanded implementation of the department’s SSCP. 

Meanwhile, the DOST Central Visayas spearheaded the kickoff of the Smart Community Consortium—a multi-stakeholder platform for the SSCP across the region—through a ceremonial digital signing of DOST officials and other industry partners. 

“[Collaborations] begin simply with one conversation, shared concern, one cup of coffee, or one institution reaching out to one another. But when we nurture these connections, they grow into programs, technologies, enterprises, and solutions that make a real difference in people's lives,” Dr. Tristan L. Abando, regional director of DOST VII, underscored. 

The consortium will focus on the development and implementation of the program, mobilizing collaboration among the government, academe, industries, and communities to help local government units employ and scale smart and sustainable solutions.

The Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) is one of the flgaship programs of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) aimed at providing science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions across four strategic pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability. These pillars embody the mantra OneDOST4U: Solutions and Opportunities for All. For more information, visit www.dost.gov.ph or the National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) Facebook page. (By Karl Jerome M. del Mundo, DOST-STII and Photos by Patrick James Lee C. Alfonso, DOST-STII)

DOST officials and industry partners from the Central Visayas posed for a photo after casting their signatures on the pledge of commitment for the Smart Community Consortium.