Last week, I attended my first international seminar—the Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur. For me, it wasn’t just an event; it was an awakening. On one side, I witnessed what forward-looking governance and technology can achieve. On the other, I couldn’t help but compare it with the struggles we still face back in the Philippines.
In Malaysia, the conversation was bold: smart infrastructure, AI-driven safety systems, and cities designed to protect and serve their people. In the Philippines, the conversation too often drifts back to corruption, inefficiency, and wasted opportunities.
Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur: A Glimpse of Progress
At the expo, I saw what modern cities look like in action. Imagine this: two cars collide on the highway. Within seconds, police are notified, nearby hospitals receive alerts, and a smart ambulance is dispatched. AI instantly analyzes fault, while insurance companies process claims in real time. By the time help arrives, doctors already have preliminary data—sometimes even x-rays—sent directly from the ambulance.
The Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur showed that this isn’t science fiction. It’s the product of long-term investment, the right infrastructure, and leadership that values public good over personal gain.
A Painful Contrast
Meanwhile in the Philippines, flood control projects—meant to safeguard communities—have become synonymous with corruption. Instead of protecting lives, they become political trophies, draining public funds and drowning citizens in frustration. While our neighbors discuss AI-driven safety and green infrastructure, we are stuck battling leaders more interested in luxury cars and lavish lifestyles than real progress.
My Reflection
Walking out of the expo halls, I felt two emotions: inspiration and frustration. Inspiration from seeing what’s possible when vision and governance align; frustration because I know Filipinos have the same talent and drive, but we are being held back by corruption.
Still, I believe this: change begins with exposure, with learning, with conversations like those at the Smart City Expo Kuala Lumpur. If we can bring home even a fraction of that mindset—of building for people, not for power—we can rewrite our nation’s story.