BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Regional Competitiveness Committee recognized the most competitive local government units (LGUs) for 2020 and 2021 in the Cordillera Region during the 7th and 8th Annual Regional Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Recognition Ceremony held on February 17.
For 2020, Benguet ranked as the 10th overall most competitive province nationwide. It was also recognized as the 10th Most Improved Province.
La Trinidad placed 8th overall most competitive LGU. It ranked second under the economic dynamism pillar, 8th Most Improved, and 19th under the resiliency pillar. The LGU was also given a special award for Best in Documentation.
The municipality of Tublay garnered 11th place overall most competitive under the 5th-6th class municipality. It also placed 6th under the government efficiency and 11th as the Most Improved.
Meanwhile, Baguio City was the 19th overall most competitive garnering 11th place for the economic dynamism, 18th for the infrastructure, and 19th Most Improved highly urbanized city.
Other LGUs recognized under the economic dynamism pillar include Buguias (20th) and Sablan (11th) in Benguet, and Alfonso Lista (9th) in Ifugao. Under the resiliency pillar, LGUs awarded are Lamut (16th) and Alfonso Lista (13th) in Ifugao; Sablan, Benguet (12th); and Licuan-Baay, Abra (4th)
DTI Undersecretary Bles Lantayona congratulates the Cordillera region for continuously and actively participating in the CMCI.
For 2021. the province of Ifugao ranked as the 12th overall most competitive province nationwide.
The town of Lamut was recognized as the fifth overall most competitive LGU nationwide under the 3rd-4th class municipality. It also bagged first place under the government efficiency, one of the pillar of competitiveness. It also garnered 6th place on the pillar of resiliency and 10th place on the infrastructure pillar.
La Trinidad, Benguet ranked as the 11th overall most competitive LGU under the 1st-2nd class municipality, placing 6th under the economic dynamism pillar.
Baguio City placed 17th as the overall most competitive LGU under the Highly Urbanized City category placing third under the Most Improved, 9th under the economic dynamism pillar, 15th place for the resiliency pillar, and 19th place for the government efficiency pillar.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Sablan in Benguet ranked as the 18th overall most competitive LGU under the 5th-6th class municipality garnering 5th place for the resiliency pillar. It also received a special award for Best in Submission.
Other performing LGUs recognized under the economic dynamism pillar are Alfonso Lista, Ifugao (20th) and Tublay, Benguet (15th).
Under the government efficiency pillar, recognized LGUs are Pidigan, Abra (19th) and Tublay, Benguet (13th).
Under the resiliency pillar, the municipality of Asipulo in Ifugao ranked 20th. Among the recognized Most Improved LGUs are La Paz (17th), Pilar (14th) and Pidigan (13th) in Abra, Bontoc, Mountain Province (13th) and Tabuk City (11th).
The winning LGUs attributed their success to the support and cooperation of the community.
DTI Undersecretary Bles Lantayona congratulated the Cordillera region for continuously and actively participating in the CMCI.
“In the Cordillera Administrative Region, I am proud that our very own DTI – CAR has been proactive in encouraging the cities and municipalities in the region to join the annual ranking, to gain you insights on the best practices of other participants as well as to share their own innovations and best practices for the reference of others,” she said.
The CMCI is an annual ranking of cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the RCC with the assistance of USAID. It measures how competitive the cities and municipalities are and ranks them based on the list of competitiveness indicators on the four pillars of economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency geared towards sustainable competitiveness. The fifth pillar of innovation was added recently.
The online recognition ceremony was joined by different LGUs, and government agencies in the Cordillera. **JDP/DEG-PIA CAR
