SIGLAT: Baguio Youth Innovation Hub

The local government of Baguio is the first city to establish a Youth Innovation Hub in the Philippines: The SIGLAT (Synergize, Innovation and Gravitate Leadership Towards Adaptive Technologies) Youth Innovation Hub was launched on September 1, 2023 at the Basement of the Baguio Convention and Cultural Center.

A ceremonial ribbon-cutting ceremony was held led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Councilor Levy Lloyd Orcales, City Planning, Development and Sustainability Coordinator Ar. Donna R. Tabangin, City Administrator Engr. Bonifacio I. Dela Peña, TESDA Executive Director Daisy C. Bungallon, and DTI Regional Director Juliet Lucas.

This initiative is a collaborative effort with the Safe and Sound Cities (S2Cities) program, led by the Global Infrastructure Basel Foundation (GIB) in partnership with ICLEI and the Cordilleran Youth Center (CYC). It is hosted by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation and receives support from the Fondation Botnar.

The SIGLAT Youth Innovation Hub will serve as a safe and inclusive space to improve young people’s safety, well-being, and quality of life in urban environments and involve young people in ideating and implementing innovative solutions for tracking safety challenges. It will also provide opportunities for young people and local government officers to promote dialogue and encourage them to co-create innovative solutions with other urban stakeholders to improve safety in their cities.

The city’s approach is to introduce safer urban environments, understand urban systems and their influence on the youth, build capacities within these systems, and involve the youth in the decision-making processes. This equips the next generation with the tools, knowledge, and opportunities necessary to shape the future landscape of Baguio and the wider spectrum of industries, disciplines, and creative spheres. - CPDSO

Photos by Neil Clark Ongchangco