Wuhan, China | December 5–7, 2025 — Bicol University, in collaboration with Layertech Labs, showcased a joint research paper entitled “Integrating Citizen Feedback Analytics in Smart City Planning: A Case Study on the City of Muntinlupa, Philippines” at the 2025 International Conference on Agentic AI (ICA2025) held in Wuhan, China from December 5 to 7, 2025.
The paper highlights an innovative, data-driven approach to smart city planning by leveraging citizen feedback analytics to inform local government decision-making. Using the City of Muntinlupa as a case study, the research demonstrates how structured analysis of citizen feedback—collected through digital platforms and engagement mechanisms—can enhance urban planning, service delivery, and participatory governance. The study demonstrated the potential for machine learning methods and automation, to feasibly integrate citizen feedback data into a Local Government’s core decision support system.
Paper Abstract:
Smart City development has become a central agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in promoting sustainable urban growth. However, many smart city initiatives in the region remain technology-centric, which often neglect inclusivity and human rights integration. There is, therefore, a growing need to explore models that embed citizen participation and feedback at the core of smart city design. In an attempt to address this gap, this paper examined the case of Muntinlupa City, Philippines, and its participation in the Digital Democracy Project, an initiative that uses citizen feedback data to inform smart city planning through stakeholder engagement. Using a co-created digital survey distributed via local government and partner networks, the project gathered public input on key smart city issues. Responses underwent pre-processing to remove unreliable entries and were followed by both quantitative and qualitative analyses, which included sentiment profiling and keyword clustering. The results revealed strong support for smart city development, especially among youth and digitally active barangays. The Muntinlupa City Planning and Development Office acknowledged that the feedback not only reflected existing implementation issues but also helped refine strategic priorities for resource allocation and program design. The Muntinlupa experience illustrated how agile ICT-based feedback mechanisms that are transparently implemented into local planning can bridge existing governance gaps and strengthen participatory urban development.
The paper is available for download (upon request) on ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399488616_Integrating_Citizen_Feedback_Analytics_in_Smart_City_Planning_A_Case_Study_on_the_City_of_Muntinlupa_Philippines
