The Naga City Government renewed its partnerships for the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) program through a ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing on April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park beside the Jesse M. Robredo Museum. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
The Naga City Government upholds its commitment to strengthen youth participation in city planning and development, renewing its partnerships for the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) program through a ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing on April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park beside the Jesse M. Robredo Museum.
The signed MoU kicks off the second phase of the S²Cities program in Naga City, building on the achievements of Phase I.
“Today, we proudly celebrated the Unveiling of the Perspective and Ceremonial Signing of the S²Cities Naga Phase II Memorandum of Understanding—a testament to our continued commitment to empowering the youth of Naga and making our city safer and more inclusive,” said Naga City Mayor Hon. Nelson S. Legacion in a Facebook post after the event.
Naga City Mayor Hon. Nelson S. Legacion during the ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing for Naga City’s participation in Phase II of the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) Programme, April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
S²Cities is a global program led by the Global Infrastructure Basel (GIB) Foundation, hosted by the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation, with the support of Fondation Botnar. It aims to improve young people’s safety and well-being in urban environments.
The MoU formalized Naga City Government’s partnerships with WeSolve Foundation, Inc. and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability Southeast Asia (ICLEI SEA). WeSolve is the non-government, non-profit organization that will lead the Phase II implementation in Naga, while ICLEI SEA is the S²Cities program’s government engagement partner in SEA.
The Naga City Government will collaborate with WeSolve and ICLEI SEA to oversee the Phase II implementation.
Set to run until 2028, Phase II of S²Cities will focus on systems understanding, capacity strengthening, innovation, implementation, and scaling. A new set of youth-led initiatives will also receive seed funding, while ongoing support will be provided for Phase I projects.
Phase I of the program’s implementation in Naga resulted in the establishment of the Naga Youth Innovation Hub, a co-working space under the Naga City Government that was co-designed with the city’s youth, and youth-designed and led projects such as “Skateopia,” aimed to enhance the city’s Civic Skate Park; “FLOMO,” a parking device that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor and reduce illegal parking violators; and “Lights, Camera, Action,” a design for a multi-purpose streetlight for improved crime prevention.
The ceremonial MoU signing event also included an unveiling of perspectives for the three youth-designed projects.
The unveiling of perspectives for the three youth-designed projects supported by the S²Cities programme in Naga City, April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
“Through the S²Cities Naga Youth Innovation Fellowship Program, three remarkable projects were granted a total of Php 2.9 million to bring youth-driven solutions to life. These initiatives are fully funded by the Safe and Sound Cities Program,” said Mayor Legacion.
ICLEI SEA supported the program’s Phase I implementation in the Philippines, specifically in cities of Baguio and Naga, in 2023 to 2024 by facilitating engagements with local governments and will continue to do so for Phase II.
Last month, the project also renewed its partnership with Baguio City for Phase II.
“Now that the cities of Naga and Baguio have both renewed their participation in the S²Cities program, we hope to make a more lasting impact that can contribute to a more people-centered development in our partner cities, where the commitment of local governments to actively collaborate with its stakeholders has proven to be vital,” said ICLEI SEA Regional Director Victorino Aquitania.
ICLEI SEA Regional Director Victorino Aquitania during the ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing for Naga City’s participation in Phase II of the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) Programme, April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
Activities during Phase I of S²Cities in Naga City included a survey of urban safety, stakeholder consultations, workshops and capacity building activities, and ideation, designing, and implementation of safety solutions, among other youth-focused engagements.
For more information on the S²Cities program, visit https://s2cities.org/.
Signatories and guests during the ceremonial Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing for Naga City’s participation in Phase II of the Safe and Sound Cities (S²Cities) Programme, April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
Local youth who designed “Skatetopia,” an enhanced Naga City Skate Park, one of the three winning-projects during Phase I of the S²Cities programme in Naga City, pose next to a perspective of their project during the unveiling of perspectives, April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
Local youth who designed “Lights, Camera, Action!,” one of the three winning-projects during Phase I of the S²Cities programme in Naga City, pose next to a perspective of their project during the unveiling of perspectives, April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
The perspective of “FloMo,” one of the three winning-projects during Phase I of the S²Cities programme in Naga City, is shown during the unveiling of perspectives, April 10, 2025 at the Naga City Skate Park. (Photo from the Facebook page of the Naga City Government)
