13 December 2024, Seoul. The 2024 Bridges Program on Local Infrastructure Governance was successfully held from November 24-30, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea. The program brought together experts and officials from the Philippines and Korea to exchange knowledge and best practices in local governance and infrastructure development. The program was co-organized by the Philippine Society for Public Administration (PSPA) and the Korea Local Government Officials Development Institute (LOGODI) under the ROK Ministry of Interior and Safety (MOIS), with additional support from the LX Spatial Information Research Institute.

Participants in the program included the Philippine delegation headed by Undersecretary Odilon Pasaraba of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other DILG senior officials and directors specializing in local governance and infrastructure management. Korean counterparts included representatives from LOGODI, the LX Spatial Information Research Institute, and the ROK MOIS who contributed expertise and knowledge on local governance and smart city infrastructure in Korea.

The program included policy and knowledge exchange sessions, presentation of case studies, technical workshops, and site visits sites showcasing advanced local governance in action, including applications of spatial data technology in transportation and public safety systems.

The Closing Ceremony for the BRIDGES Program was held at the Sentro Rizal of the Philippine Embassy in Seoul with the DILG Delegation as well as representatives from ROK MOIS, LOGODI, and LX Spatial in attendance.

Ambassador Theresa Dizon-de Vega in her congratulatory remarks noted that the program will benefit local governance managers immensely as it introduced them to new technologies, tools, and strategies for better local infrastructure management. She likewise re-affirmed the Embassy’s commitment to helping engender more sub-national cooperation between the Philippines and Korea.

DILG Undersecretary Odilon Pasaraba expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to learn from Korea’s expertise, noting that the insights gained would play a crucial role in enhancing governance frameworks and infrastructure development initiatives in the Philippines. Undersecretary Pasaraba conveyed the DILG’s appreciation to the Embassy for helping to organize the closing ceremony and for its work on local government engagement between PH and ROK.

The 2024 Bridges Program underscored the importance of international cooperation in addressing the challenges of local governance and infrastructure development and marks another milestone in Philippines-Korea relations, fostering innovation and mutual growth in the field of public administration and infrastructure governance. END