In his visit to Malaysia, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte was impressed by the best practices of the Putrajaya City Government, particularly its One Government Center and the Putrajaya Command Centre, and envisions establishing the same in Davao City. The Mayor mentioned this sentiment during his courtesy meeting with Putrajaya Corporation President Honorable TPr. Fadlun bin Mak Ujud last May 12, 2023 in Putrajaya, Malaysia.

The Putrajaya Government Center in Putrajaya, Malaysia is home to several official buildings, including the prime minister’s office, the Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC), the Putrajaya Command Centre, and other key offices. While Kuala Lumpur remains Malaysia’s capital and premier financial and commercial center, Putrajaya has become the country’s new Federal Government Administrative Center.

The seat of the Federal Government administration was shifted from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya in 1999. The city was planned as a Garden and Intelligent city. The city master plan incorporated a network of open spaces and wide boulevards, creating a modern yet fresh look for the Federal Administrative Capital.

Similar to the establishment of Putrajaya to decongest Kuala Lumpur, Mayor Duterte envisions establishing a similar “one government center” away from the city proper that will host all government offices. This will greatly decongest downtown Davao in terms of government transactions.

The Mayor further envisioned making the Davao One Government Center smart and green, which means it will utilize modern technology and become environmentally friendly at the same time. There will be considerable improvement in local government services and functions by using modern technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) to answer various challenges including traffic management, flood mitigation, urban development, and peace and order maintenance.

Mayor Duterte was invited and led a delegation to Putrajaya composed of government officials to promote Davao and establish stronger ties with the Philippines’ neighboring countries to benefit Dabawenyos.

Consul Ahmadulkuddus bin Husain of the Consulate General of Malaysia in Davao City facilitated the visit in coordination with the Davao City Investment Promotion Center (DCIPC).

Together with the Mayor are Assistant City Administrator Atty. Tristan Dwight P. Domingo, Chief of Staff Mr. Vince Jul Malicay, and Davao City Investment Promotion Center OIC Ms. April Marie C. Dayap. Representatives from Davao’s business sector Mr. Andre F. Bucu and Mr. Gabriel Nakan were also present.

During the meeting, the Mayor discussed establishing a two-way relationship between Davao City and Putrajaya. This discussion holds the potential for stronger trade and tourism relations with Putrajaya and Malaysia to benefit Davao’s local economy.

Mayor Duterte and Davao City delegates also toured the Putrajaya Command Center, an integrated operation center that monitors the city’s safety, security, traffic flow, IT infrastructures, and environmental sensors 24/7. Established in 2004, the Center has been upgraded with the latest technologies in August 2018.

The Center is also linked to a mini command center in Putrajaya District Police Headquarters using a fiber optic connection to ensure smooth system operations. Perbadanan Putrajaya is implementing a new connection to Putrajaya District Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia Station, Putrajaya Civil Defence Force, and Putrajaya Hospital.

Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj) or Putrajaya Corporation (PjC) is a local authority that administers the Federal Territory of Putrajaya and is under the Federal Territories Ministry of Malaysia. Founded in 1995, the corporation is responsible for public health and sanitation, waste removal and management, capital planning, environmental protection and building control, social and economic development, and general maintenance functions of the urban infrastructure of Putrajaya.

During the Malaysia visit, Mayor Duterte also met with the Director General of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) Datuk Dr. Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir to discuss strengthening trade relations between Malaysia and Davao City.

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