Naga City launches AI command center for smarter governance

Naga City has launched its artificial intelligence (AI) Command Center, an initiative aimed at strengthening the city’s disaster response capabilities and enabling flood risk forecasting once it becomes fully operational. 

In a Facebook post last Monday, Naga City Mayor Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo said the initiative marks a strategic shift from purely reactive crisis response to predictive, intelligence-assisted governance, positioning the city to prepare for AI-enabled systems by 2026. 

“Naga is building a hyper-intelligent city using an AI-enhanced command center,” Ms. Robredo said, who also formally introduced the initiative during the Naga City Innovators Assembly. 

“The system’s strength lies in its ability to detect data patterns, forecast potential risks before they become emergencies, and suggest preventive actions,” she added. 

Developed by locally based AI impact company AIRA Labs, Naga City’s AI Command Center is designed to serve as the city’s central artificial intelligence platform, enhancing public safety, disaster response, traffic management, and real-time digital governance. 

The platform, known as the AIRA AI Command Center, is engineered specifically for local government units to address real-world challenges faced by Philippine cities, such as localized flooding, traffic congestion, and communication disruptions during typhoons. 

According to AIRA Labs co-founder Karl Del Val, the system, powered by the proprietary, AIRANET Core, represents a move toward a “hyper-intelligent city,” offering capabilities beyond standard smart city designations.  

He said that the platform integrates local infrastructure, leverages AI to interpret radio broadcasts, and can remotely manage critical infrastructure. The system is also trained to understand local languages and dialects, including Tagalog, Bicolano-Naga, and Bisaya, enabling more accurate and localized intelligence. 

The project is currently in its pre-deployment and pilot scoping phase, with the city government and AIRA Labs jointly assessing data readiness, identifying priority City Hall offices, and defining initial use cases to guide phased implementation. 

Two priority applications are being developed during the pilot phase. These include an AI-assisted triage system for reports submitted through the MyNaga App, aimed at improving how citizen concerns are classified, routed, and monitored across city offices and AI-powered analytics for procurement data to strengthen transparency and oversight. 

Once fully operational, the AI Command Center is expected to provide flood risk forecasting, detect traffic and crime patterns, and deliver high-level operational intelligence within seconds.  

This capability is intended to strengthen the city’s overall preparedness for climate-related, mobility, and security challenges by 2026.  

As part of AIRA Lab’s commitment to data sovereignty, the Naga City will retain full ownership and control of its operational intelligence. — Edg Adrian A. Eva