Navigating Sustainable Governance Solutions for Integrative Development: UP CIDS embarks on five-day study tour in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

The UP CIDS delegates strike a thumbs up pose with the Intelligent Transportation Center of Kaohsiung City and Edu-Connect Southeast Asia Association

Through a partnership with Edu-Connect Southeast Asia Association—a multi sectoral network of universities, businesses, and development organizations in Southern Taiwan—the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) embarked on a five-day study tour in Kaohsiung, Taiwan on October 5-10, 2024.

The delegation was composed of UP CIDS Executive Director Rosalie Arcala Hall, PhD; Program on Conservation and Biodiversity Convenor Benjamin Vallejo Jr., PhD; UP Visayas Iloilo Division of Social Sciences Chair Johnrev Guilaran, PhD; Urban Studies Program (USP) members Rhodelia Ibabao, PhD, Brian Ventura, Alan Moscoso, John Ryan Jacot, and Kobe Allen G. Losenada; as well as UP CIDS Publications Unit staff Lakan Uhay D. Alegre and Jose Ibarra Cunanan.

The study-tour titled, “UP CIDS in the City that Works: Navigating Sustainable Governance Solutions for Integrative Development” aimed at learning good governance best practices as well as innovative smart city development and sustainability strategies through engaging with various local government offices and key corporate institutions in the Southern Taiwan city of Kaohsiung.

The Edu-Connect escort team, led by Dr. Eing-Ming Wu—Senior Managing Advisor of Edu-Connect and visiting professor at the National College of Public Administration and Governance at UP Diliman—welcomed the UP CIDS delegation upon their arrival at Kaohsiung International Airport. From the airport, the delegation took an MRT train ride to Kindness Hotel Chi Hsein Branch which houses the UP Guest House in Taiwan.

While walking to the MRT station and the UP Guest House in Taiwan, the delegation would stop from time to time. Dr. Wu and his team would point out an interesting feature of the city along the way. One of which was the connecting tunnel from the airport to an MRT station. As Dr. Wu pointed out, Kaohsiung’s transport system is commuter friendly. Travelers do not need to book a car or ride a taxi from the airport to their hotels. The train system is the fastest and most convenient way to travel, more so, to navigate and experience Kaohsiung.

The mini walking tour from the airport to the UP Guest House in Taiwan was just a taste of how experiential and integrative the next few days would be like. The next day, the UP CIDS delegation continued their walking tour. Together with Dr. Wu, they took the MRT to visit green and cultural productive city spaces. This included the Wei-Wu Ying National Fine Arts Center, the New Asia Bay Area, the TAU Urban Resort, the Kaohsiung Main Library, the I-Ride VR Theater of Brogent Technology, Inc., and Pier 2 Arts Center.

On the third day, the delegation visited the Kaohsiung City Government Siwei Administration Center, Kaohsiung’s city hall where the 1999 Citizens Complaint Management Center, the Bureau of Economic Development, and the Bureau of Urban Development hold office. The heads of management gave brief presentations of how their respective offices contribute to the livability of their city as well as some important initiatives, struggles, and triumphs. With Dr. Wu as the translator, the UP CIDS delegation engaged deeply with the heads of the government offices, asking questions centered on policy implementation, management, and efficiency. Before the third day ended, the UP CIDS delegation visited a nearby evening market and met with the president of the vendor’s association. There, the UP CIDS delegation were able to see how the vendor’s kept the market clean, organized, and sanitary. No foul smells or overflowing trash.

The next days were as productive and insightful. The UP CIDS delegation met with the Deputy Director of the Intelligent Transportation Center of Transportation Bureau and were able to observe how the backend of traffic management looked like in a smart city. They also met with Director General Yang of the Bureau of Public Works to discuss park development, maintenance, and green space creation. There too was a visit to the Gangsan Refuse Resource Recovery Plant, one of the incineration plants of Kaohsiung that disposes of city trash and converts waste into energy. Another was a tour of the Linhai Industrial Park and an engagement with its Administrative Service Center. Lastly, there was a tour of the Kaohsiung Linhai Water Resource Center, where the UP CIDS delegation were able to observe how dirty water could be cleaned and recycled.

Overall, the Edu-Connect study tour was a success. The UP CIDS delegation brought home valuable lessons and insights. They experienced the Kaohsiung in full, including and most importantly, the backend systems that uphold and innovate its livability. Exploring areas like mobility, green spaces, sanitation, complaint management, accountability, and social responsibility, UP CIDS gained perspectives on what keeps a city vibrant and productive.

As a follow up, Dr. Eing-Wing Wu visited Iloilo on October 23, 2024 where he delivered a lecture about “The City that Works” in a roundtable organized by the UP CIDS Urban Studies project at UP Visayas. Dr. Wu interacted with local government bureaucrats, community members and UP Visayas researchers doing work on the urban river rehabilitation. As the Edu-Connect partnership continues, UP CIDS remains committed to advancing policies that contribute to a more livable Philippines.

Written by Lakan Uhay D. Alegre