Baguio City has gained international recognition for using local data to identify health and social disparities and guide government action. The city received the “Data for Equity: Informing Action, Improving Health” award under the 2026 World Health Organization (WHO) Healthy Cities Recognition Awards.
City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit chief Dr. Donabel Panes accepted the award for Baguio during the 11th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities on Tuesday in Sydney, Australia.
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Livability Index Brings Data Down to the Barangay Level
The recognition highlights Baguio’s barangay-level Livability Index, developed through the City Planning, Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) headed by Arch. Donna Rillera Tabangin. The initiative examines differences among the city’s barangay in terms of health conditions, social circumstances and access to basic services.
Instead of relying on citywide figures that can conceal differences between communities, the index provides a more detailed view of how residents experience their respective areas. This allows city officials to identify communities facing greater challenges and determine where interventions and investments may be most urgently required.
The initiative was built through extensive engagement with communities and the use of local data. Its findings are now being incorporated into city planning, budgeting and investment decisions, giving evidence a stronger role in determining where development efforts should be directed.
Baguio has previously received recognition under the same award. In 2021, the Summer Capital won the award for its ongoing Smoke-Free Baguio campaign, which was cited for “its contribution to the health and well-being of its citizens and to the advancement of Healthy Cities goals in the Western Pacific.”
From Measurement to More Targeted Government Action
Tabangin described the Livability Index as more than a system for measuring conditions across communities. She said it also helps convert information gathered at the local level into concrete action as Baguio, under Mayor Benjamin Magalong, continues efforts to build a healthier, more equitable and resilient city.
The approach also demonstrates how barangay-level information can shape decisions that directly respond to differences in living conditions. By identifying which communities face greater disadvantages, the city government can develop more targeted interventions instead of applying the same response across all areas.
According to Tabangin, the international recognition also puts Baguio among communities showing how data and local governance can be used to advance health equity and improve quality of life. The Livability Index, she said, also has potential as a model for other cities seeking to make development planning more responsive to the people and communities they serve.
The award places greater attention on a practical question facing local governments: whether data gathered from communities actually influences where public resources go. In Baguio, the Livability Index provides a framework for making health, social conditions and access to basic services part of planning decisions at the barangay level. That approach matters beyond the city because more precise local data can help governments identify gaps earlier and direct limited resources toward communities where they are needed most.
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