Integrated infrastructure, AI seen accelerating push to develop smart cities in the Philippines

THE ADOPTION of integrated infrastructure and artificial intelligence (AI) will accelerate the development of smart cities in the Philippines, Dell Technologies, Inc. said, with edge-to-core solutions providing the foundation towards sustainability, efficiency, and connectivity.

During the Smart City Convention 2026 held at the SMX Convention Center Aura this week, Rose Ann Ermita, senior solutions engineer and team lead for Dell Smart Edge Plus, highlighted the need for a “system of systems,” such as its Dell Automated Platform, that interconnects urban services like smart mobility and unified healthcare records.

“The evolution of urban landscapes into sustainable hubs is primarily driven by data. However, all data is not confined within the four walls of the data center,” Ms. Ermita said.

A central theme of the company’s strategy is the democratization of AI to benefit Filipinos.

“AI is not coming, it’s already here,” Ms. Ermita said, noting that the challenge for city planners and urban developers is how to unlock its value.

For its part, Dell offers its flagship PowerStore storage and PowerEdge servers for hardware, which feature a 5-to-1 data reduction ratio supporting different softwares like VMWare, Red Hat, and Nutanix.

The push for smarter urban centers is already happening, with the company citing its collaboration with Mindanao State University and its distribution of Dell Inspiron laptops for students.

“Mindanao State University uses Dell in their infrastructure, especially on the campus. It is powered by Dell Digital City Smart Campus Transformational Network,” Ms. Ermita said, adding that students and faculty members there have a Dell-powered system of laptops, servers, and data storage.

She said today’s preparation will define how tomorrow’s cities meet their challenges, citing Singapore as an example, where overhead sensors eliminate the need for tollgates and unified medical records allow for seamless patient transfers between hospitals.

“The collective goal of a smart city is to build a smart city that is efficient and safe for the citizens, to improve their lives. We need it to be for all.” — Juliana Chloe A. Gonzales