Seventy-six percent of respondents in Baguio City said they are satisfied or fairly satisfied with their quality of life, according to the City’s Quality-of-Life Index developed with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
City Planning, Development, and Sustainability Officer Arch. Donna Tabangin presented the findings to the Baguio City Council during its regular session on September 14, 2026. The assessment combines objective data with residents’ perceptions of life in the city.
The online perception survey generated 2,636 responses, well above the minimum target of 400 respondents.
The assessment examined nine urban domains, with education recording the highest score at 92 out of 100, followed by governance at 81, basic services and mobility at 77, social cohesion at 74, and economy at 74.
Four domains were identified as areas requiring attention: environment with a score of 64; health and well-being, 58; housing, 53; and culture and recreation, scoring 34 which recorded the lowest results among the nine domains.
Tabangin said the findings provide a more detailed picture of the conditions behind the overall quality-of-life perception.
In basic services and mobility, residents gave high marks to feeling safe going out at night which scored 98.1; having access to safely managed sanitation, 93.8; and having access to safely managed drinking water, 82.9. Public transport convenience (58.9), public transport satisfaction (58.9), and mobile connectivity (60) were identified as areas needing improvement.
Governance scored 81, with crime and safety at 97.5, confidence in local law at 91.5, and satisfaction with the City Council at 91.5. However, trust in local government scored 63.9 which Tabangin associated with the need to improve access to information and open data. Revenue collection scored the lowest, which means revenue increase is not as fast as the ideal trend.
In health and well-being, mental wellness (80.5) and healthcare satisfaction (66.5) were among the stronger areas, while mortality rates (46.2), malnutrition (46.5), and healthy life expectancy (49.1) were identified as concerns.
The economy recorded a strong overall result, with a poverty rate of 0.8% and unemployment rate of 3.9%. At the same time, respondents reported difficulties in finding jobs and concerns over household income and income inequality.
Environment scored 64 (moderate) due to the City’s exposure to hazards, concerns over thermal comfort, tree coverage, and residents’ low level of concern regarding climate impacts. The City’s green and open spaces, public space proximity, solid waste collection and disposal, and air quality are all areas of strength.
Social cohesion remains strong (74), with community belonging at 88.8 but support circle/family support dipping to 58.6.
Education recorded the highest overall score at 92, with high results in youth education and training and tertiary education completion. However, education quality satisfaction still requires improvement.
Housing scored 53, with affordability identified as a major concern. Tabangin cited the limited supply of housing serving lower-income households and the effects of the transient rental market as issues that need further study.
Culture and recreation (43) also emerged as a concern, particularly in terms of accessibility. According to Tabangin, many barangays lack open spaces, communal green areas, and small recreation facilities where residents can engage in cultural and recreational activities.
Tabangin said these results should not be viewed only as scores but as indicators of where the City can focus interventions.
The Quality-of-Life Index was developed using 53 global indicators, 15 local indicators, nine urban domains and the citizen perception survey. Data were drawn from the City’s Voluntary Local Review, Livability Index, Community-Based Monitoring System, national and regional government agencies, and local government departments.
Tabangin said the assessment will provide a baseline that can be updated as the City improves its data systems to allow future measurements in determining whether identified gaps are narrowing. ** Jordan G. Habbiling
