ILOILO CITY (PIA) – This city has been hailed as the “Overall Most Competitive” among highly urbanized cities (HUCs) in Western Visayas, while Guimaras has been honored as the “Most Competitive Province” during the Creativity Forum and Competitive Local Government Unit (LGU) Awards.
The event was organized by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-6 on November 4, 2024 wherein awards were given to local government units (LGUs) that participated in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) survey that reviews the performance of LGUs across key competitiveness pillars.
The 133 LGUs that participated in the event were classified based on municipal and city categories, and were evaluated and ranked based on their scores across five competitiveness pillars, namely the Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Innovation.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas, in a statement, said that the recognition serves as evidence of the city’s commitment to good governance and the effectiveness of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), highlighting the collaborative efforts of the city government, its leaders, and private sector partners in creating a dynamic, sustainable, and inclusive city.
“We have achieved so much since we worked together as one team. The awards show that the city government is performing well, which is why we are receiving these honors. They inspire us to continue striving for excellence in governance and service,” Treñas said in a Facebook post.
The province of Guimaras likewise stressed that the award shows the “strong commitment” of the provincial government and LGUs towards continuous development and innovation.
Meanwhile, DTI-6 Director Nufable encouraged local government units (LGUs) to build on the success they received and collaborate further to position the community as thriving investment hubs.
“Today, we celebrate the outstanding achievements and relentless dedication of the 133 local government units from across Western Visayas who participated in this year’s CMCI cycle. Your commitment to progress and innovation has been instrumental in bringing recognition to our region,” Nufable said.
Here is the full list of awardees:
For Economic Dynamism – Kalibo, Aklan (1st to 2nd class municipalities); Jordan, Guimaras (3rd to 4th class municipalities); San Lorenzo, Guimaras (5th to 6th class municipalities); Roxas City, Capiz (Component Cities); Iloilo City (Highly Urbanized Cities).
For Government Efficiency – Kalibo, Aklan (1st to 2nd class municipalities); Leganes, Iloilo (3rd to 4th class municipalities); Mina, Iloilo (5th to 6th class municipalities); Cadiz City, Negros Occidental (Component Cities); Iloilo City (Highly Urbanized Cities)
For Infrastructure – Malay, Aklan (1st to 2nd class municipalities); Jordan, Guimaras (3rd to 4th class municipalities); San Lorenzo, Guimaras (5th to 6th class municipalities); Sagay City, Negros Occidental (Component Cities); Iloilo City (Highly Urbanized Cities)
For Resiliency – Tigbauan, Iloilo (1st to 2nd class municipalities); Concepcion, Iloilo (3rd to 4th class municipalities); Buruanga, Aklan (5th to 6th class municipalities); Sagay City, Negros Occidental (Component Cities); Iloilo City (Highly Urbanized Cities)
For Innovation – Tigbauan, Iloilo (1st to 2nd class municipalities); Leganes, Iloilo (3rd to 4th class municipalities); Belison, Antique (5th to 6th class municipalities); Roxas City, Capiz( Component Cities); Iloilo City (Highly Urbanized Cities)
For Most Improved LGUs – Janiuay, Iloilo (1st to 2nd class municipalities); Barotac Viejo, Iloilo (3rd to 4th class municipalities); Libertad, Antique (5th to 6th class municipalities); Kabankalan City, Victorias City and Escalante, Negros Occidental (Component Cities)
For Most Competitive Province – Province of Guimaras
For Overall Most Competitive – Iloilo City (Highly Urbanized Cities); Kalibo, Aklan (1st to 2nd class municipalities); Leganes, Iloilo (3rd to 4th class municipalities); San Lorenzo, Guimaras (5th to 6th class municipalities.) (AAL/JNH/PIA Iloilo)
