Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 29) — Manila languished in the bottom half of the list of safest cities in the world, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
The London-based think tank released the Safe Cities Index 2019, which placed the Philippine capital at 43rd spot out of 60 cities. However, Manila’s ranking improved from 55th in the 2017 report.
The EIU tracks 57 indicators in assessing local safety, which mainly revolve around health, infrastructure, digital, and personal security.
The study tracks safety in these capital cities amid rising urbanization. More than 56 percent of humans already live in cities, which is projected to rise to 68 percent by 2050.
The EIU defines “safe cities” as those where one can “often see a woman walking alone at night.” This statement covers the low likelihood of an assault, as well as available sidewalks, and healthy air quality, to name a few.
Tokyo remained the world’s safest city, followed by Singapore, Osaka also in Japan, Amsterdam in The Netherlands, and Sydney in Australia. Others at the top of the list are Toronto, Canada; Washington, D.C. in the United States; Copenhagen, Denmark; Seoul, South Korea; and Melbourne, Australia.
Asian cities dominated the top 10, although the EIU said the ranking considered “specific strengths” rather than just location. Manila scored 59.2, well below the 71.2 global average. Tokyo tallied 92 points overall.
“In each area, leading cities got the basics right, be it easy access to high-quality healthcare, dedicated cyber-security teams, community-based police patrolling or disaster continuity planning,” according to the report.
Transparency is also key: “Well-governed, accountable cities are safer cities.”
The EIU noted that high-income countries are also those that enjoy better safety protocols in the rankings. This reflects their capacity to invest in social services, particularly on high-quality infrastructure and advanced healthcare.
Digital security pertains to existing privacy policy, awareness on digital threats, public-private partnerships, level of employed technology, and dedicated cyber-security teams.
Measures include the risk of local malware threats, the number of consumers infected, as well as the percentage of people with internet access. Manila managed just 52.1 points in this area out of 100, far from the 67.2 average score. Tokyo got the best digital security protocols, according to the index.
Among the metrics of infrastructure security are deaths from natural disasters, road traffic deaths, the number of people living in slums, airport facilities, as well as road, power, and rail networks. The Philippine city scored just 53.6 here, well below the average of 72.5. Singapore led this category.
On health, the index tracks air and water quality, as well as life expectancy, childbirth deats, cancer prevalence, and emergency services. Manila secured 56.6 points in this criteria against an average of 68. Osaka and Tokyo were the two best cities here.
For personal security, the prevalence of petty, violent, and organized crimes; level of corruption; rate of drug use; gender safety; and threats of terrorism and military conflict are some of the factors. Manila scored the highest here at 74.7 to land on the 40th spot. Singapore ranked first.
Cities in the bottom 10 are Bogota in Colombia; New Delhi, India; Jakarta, Indonesia; Casablanca in Morocco; Cairo, Egypt; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Karachi in Pakistan; Yangon, Myanmar; Caracas in Venezuela; and Lagos in Nigeria.
