CITY OF SAN FERNANDO —Seventeen local government units (LGUs) from Central Luzon made it to the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) for 2023.
The award-giving ceremony, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), was presented at the Central Luzon Creative and Competitiveness Summit at the Quest Plus Conference Center in Clark Freeport on April 25.
The CMCI, developed by the National Competitiveness Council with assistance from USAID, assesses Philippine cities and municipalities based on their economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency, and innovation.
The CMCI is measured based on the LGU’s excellence in the five pillars of economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency, and innovation to inspire and encourage them to attract investors in their localities to boost the local economy.
For Economic Dynamism, Marilao and Sta. Maria, Bulacan ranked 10th and 6th place respectively, among class 1 to 2 municipalities. Baler, Aurora placed 5thwhile San Simon, Pampanga ranked 4th most dynamic among 3rd to 4th class municipalities.
Among component cities, Balanga City and the City of San Fernando placed 10th and 9th respectively, for Government Efficiency category. In the same category, Samal and Pilar, Bataan ranked 2nd and 9threspectively, for class 3 to 4 towns while Limay, Bataan placed 7th for 1st and 2nd class municipalities.
For the Infrastructure pillar, Sta. Maria, Bulacan landed 4th place among class 1 to 2 municipalities with Baliwag, Bulacan placing 5th. In addition, Baler, Aurora and Morong, Bataan ranked 5th and 7th place respectively, for 3rd to 4th class municipalities.
San Felipe, Zambales garnered 4th place in Resiliency pillar with Pura, Tarlac taking 8th place among Class 3 to 4 municipalities. Baliwag, Bulacan also ranked 8th in resiliency for Class 1 to 2 municipalities.
Among the most Innovative LGUs, Baliwag, Bulacan placed 6th among Class 1 to 2 municipalities while San Felipe, Zambales placed 7th for Class 3 to 4 municipalities.
DTI-Central Luzon director Brigada Pili said CMCI serves as a benchmarking tool for LGUs to assess their performance across key pillars of competitiveness and identify areas for improvement.
By participating in the CMCI process, Pili said LGUs can formulate policies and strategies to enhance their competitiveness, attract investments, and create job opportunities.
“The index also promotes capacity building at the local level, encouraging LGUs to strengthen governance practices and improve service delivery,” she said.