MAYBE there’s something to crow about Bacolod as Mayor Monico Puentevella did in his State of the Booming Bacolod Address.
“The local economy is upbeat as investors like what they see in terms of our capacity to create opportunities and provide enough room for innovations and ensure long term growth of their businesses,” bragged the Bacolod mayor.
That well may be the case. But Bacolod’s best might not be good enough compared to other cities, based on the All Cities Competitive Index of the National Competitiveness Council of the Philippines. The NCC was a creation of Presidential Executive Order No. 571 to promote and develop national competitiveness through a culture of excellence, with public-private sector collaboration as means to reduce poverty and achieve inclusive growth.
The NCC used indicators it used to evaluate local governments units (LGUs) on its capacity to deliver health services, capacity of schools, security, business registration efficiency, investment promotions unit, compliance with national directives, ratio of LGU collected tax to total LGU revenue collection, transparency score in the local government performance management system, economic governance score, and number of Department of Interior and Local Government-supported awards.
In 2014, NCC Private Sector Co-Chair Guillermo M. Luz urged stakeholders to work together in building cities and municipalities which are affordable, accessible, socially-acceptable, environmentally-friendly, economically-viable, and climate-resilient.
Bacolod’s highest claim to competitiveness was in 2010 when it reached number two then gradually slid to fifth in 2012, 20th in 2014, and plunged to 73rd in 2015. Last year, Makati, Cagayan de Oro, and Naga led the roster of most competitive cities. In 2015, the overall most competitive cities in the highly urbanized cities are Cebu, Makati, and Manila.
Frankly, I’m not surprised that Bacolod has sunk this low. It’s nearly August, yet German firm Juwi and its local partner Negros PH Solar Inc. has yet to start work on its 140-megawatt solar power plant in Barangay Felisa. Even Mayor Puentevella pointed out that the city needs additional power supply, citing the investments of Megaworld, Ayala Land, Double Dragon and other investors.
Well, then, where in red tape limbo are the papers of these companies that can provide Bacolod with affordable, accessible, socially-acceptable, environmentally-friendly, economically-viable, and climate-resilient energy? Methinks the words of wisdom of our local chief executive is not matched with his deliverables. (bqsanc@gmail.com)