FIVE local government units (LGU) in Cebu Province were recognized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for their efforts to enhance their competitiveness at the local and regional levels.
Through its Competitiveness Bureau, the DTI recognizes LGUs with exemplary performance in the four pillars of the competitiveness index: economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency.
From finishing in eighth place last year, the northern town of San Remigio was awarded as the second best in overall competitiveness among third- to sixth-class municipalities in the country.
Mayor Mariano Martinez said they will draw inspiration to work harder from their recent feat.
“Actually, if we got a place in sustainability, think we would have been first. I know what we lack this year so if we can sustain our work on all aspects, then we just might bag the first prize,” he told SunStar Cebu in a text message on Monday, Nov. 4, 2019.
Martinez said they are currently working on San Remigio’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), which is set for approval before the year ends.
The CLUP is a planning document that rationalizes the allocation and proper use of land resources. It projects public and private land uses in accordance with the future spatial organization of economic and social activities.
The southern town of Ronda, on the other hand, placed second place in the infrastructure-sufficient third- to sixth-class municipalities category.
SunStar Cebu tried to reach Mayor Terence Blanco, but he was not available as of press time.
The resiliency award, meanwhile, was given to the northern town of Liloan, which bested all other first- and second-class municipalities in the country.
“The period covered for this award was 2018 during my first term as mayor leading up to the elections of 2019, back when we had no allies in the Capitol and in Congress and when the attacks from the other side were particularly loud, vicious and cruel... So this award for resiliency means a lot to me and to my team, if only for the grit and guts it took to endure and to soldier on,” wrote Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco in a Facebook post dated Oct. 25.
Toledo City, for its part, tied in second place with Tangub, Misamis Occidental in the most improved component city category.
In a Facebook post dated Oct. 24, Mayor Joie Perales wrote that it was “working together and inspiring each other towards the good” of Toledo that helped them clinch victory.
The northern town of Poro, on the other hand, was hailed as the most improved third- to sixth-class municipality in the country.
‘What’s next is to become the best town to live in. No more water shortage and other basic services provided, with well paved roads, plenty of opportunities for all and, above all, clean government with minimal politicking,” said Mayor Edgar Rama.
Although Cebu Province did not make it to the top three highly competitive provinces, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said her administration will focus on parameters, such as infrastructure, so that the Province will make the cut in the next summit.
Capitol’s proposed P12 billion annual budget for 2020 will also cover road improvement projects.
The Capitol’s economic services for 2020 will focus on infrastructure projects. With P3.98 billion, economic services cover 33.19 percent of next year’s proposed budget.
The infrastructure projects covered by the proposed budget include concreting works for 250 kilometers of provincial roads and 100 kilometers of barangay roads, among others. (RTF)