HINATUAN, Surigao del Sur (PIA) -- The municipality of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur was awarded as the Most Improved Local Government Unit (LGU) of the 2023 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) under the category of 1st to 2nd class municipality.

The announcement was made by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Caraga during the 2023 CMCI Regional Conferment Ceremony held in Butuan City.

The town got the highest point on resiliency with a rating of 11.17, followed by government efficiency with a score of 8.96.

It can be recalled that Hinatuan Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) has been elevated to the Hall of Fame by the National Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC) Gawad Kalasag after winning the prestigious title for three consecutive years from 20215 to 2017. The LGU also received the “Beyond Compliant” award during the Caraga Regional Awarding of Gawad Kalasag (Kalamidad at Sakuna LAbanan SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) Seal for Local Government Units and Special Awards in DRRM and Humanitarian Assistance for CY 2022 and 2023.

The “Beyond Compliant '' rating is given to LGUs that exceed the standards for the establishment and functionality of the local DRRMC offices as prescribed under Sections 11 and 12 of Republic Act No. 10121. In addition to this, Hinatuan was noted to be one of the top-performing local government units in the country and received the 6th Seal of Good Local Governance award handed out by Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. during the 2023 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awarding ceremonies at the Manila Hotel in December.

Hinatuan accordingly managed to maintain the seal despite the scaled-up assessment criteria set by the DILG that required the LGU to meet all 10 areas of local governance: financial administration and sustainability; disaster preparedness; social protection and sensitivity; health compliance and responsiveness; sustainable education; business friendliness and competitiveness; safety, peace and order; environmental management; tourism, heritage development, culture, and arts; and youth development.

According to Hinatuan Municipal Tourism and Information Officer Gemma S. Millan, in 2022, Hinatuan landed at No. 406, while in 2023, it moved up to No. 209, with a big leap of 197 points on improvement.

The CMCI ranks the performances of LGUs based on the sum of their scores on five pillars, namely, economic dynamism at 20 percent, government efficiency at 20 percent, infrastructure at 20 percent,  resiliency at 20 percent, and innovation at 20 percent.

The result will further serve as a basis for planning improvements and policy formulation in every local government unit to foster a more business-enabling environment and promote ease of doing business in their localities. (NGPB/PIA-Surigao del Sur)