ILOILO — The municipality of Batad is moving to overhaul the way it delivers government services and responds to local challenges through science and technology after formally partnering with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Western Visayas to become a smart, resilient and sustainable municipality.
The partnership places digital governance, disaster resilience, economic development and environmental sustainability at the center of the municipality’s development agenda under the DOST Smart and Sustainable Communities Program (SSCP).
The commitment was formalized following the provincial launch of the SSCP in Iloilo, which seeks to integrate science, technology and innovation (STI) into local governance and community development.
Under the partnership, DOST will provide Batad with targeted technology interventions, technical assistance and capacity-building programs tailored to the municipality’s development needs.
Mayor Elvira Alarcon said STI would be crucial in modernizing the municipal government, particularly through digital transformation that could speed up public service delivery while making government operations more accountable and responsive.
A major component of the initiative is digital governance, which seeks to digitalize local administrative processes to shorten transaction times and make government services more accessible to residents.
Technology will also be harnessed to strengthen disaster resilience, including the deployment of technology-driven disaster risk reduction and early warning tools designed to better protect communities from hazards.
For economic growth, the partnership will introduce STI-based interventions to support local livelihoods, agriculture and micro-enterprises.
Batad will likewise pursue environmental sustainability by integrating technologies for better resource management and long-term ecological protection.
The program is expected to help the municipality develop more efficient digital systems, improve its preparedness for disasters and hazards, and create sustainable economic opportunities for residents.
The provincial launch brought together Batad officials and stakeholders led by Alarcon and Vice Mayor Steven Michael Y. Andrada, along with municipal department heads, employees and community representatives.
DOST officials present included Iloilo Provincial Science and Technology Office Director Engr. Sheila L. Oberio and Assistant Provincial Director Mary Beth D. Grecia.
Through the partnership, Batad joins DOST’s push to use science and technology not merely as development tools but as practical solutions to improve everyday governance and build communities better equipped to confront future economic, environmental and disaster-related challenges./PN
