Davao City – Twenty-eight (28) cities and municipalities were hailed as the highly competitive local government units (LGUs) during the 5th Davao Region Competitiveness Awarding recently here.
The said event, hosted by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) 11, is the regional version of the annual Regional Competitiveness Summit which recognizes the most competitive LGUs based on the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) survey. The CMCI measures the overall competitiveness based on economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resiliency and innovation pillars.
In her opening message, DTI Region 11 Director Maria Belenda Q. Ambi emphasized that the ceremony is not just about the award but it is also about identifying the LGUs’ strengths and weaknesses.
“With these data that we have gathered in CMCI, it enables our stakeholders to come-up with policies to improve competitiveness, particularly on, planning and development, and investments generation, which will then translate to more job opportunities to your constituents,” she said.
In the meantime, Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio mentioned in her keynote speech that working diligently to improve the key pillars of competitiveness must also be coupled with cooperation and creating strong bonds with the private sector, the business community, security units, and the people in their respective localities.
“May this serve as an inspiration and encouragement to all of us that we will continue to build better communities, and keep serving our respective cities and municipalities for the benefit of the people of Davao Region,” Mayor Duterte-Carpio said.
Below are the awardees:
On the Overall Most Competitive LGUs award, the Province of Davao del Norte bagged the number 1 spot, while Davao de Oro ranked 2nd, and Davao del Sur landed on the 3rd spot. Under the Component Cities category, 1st place was awarded to Tagum City, while 2nd and 3rd goes to the cities of Panabo and Digos, respectively. Under the 1st to 2nd Class Municipalities, Compostela of Davao de Oro landed on 1st place, while Nabunturan, Davao de Oro is 2nd and Carmen of Davao del Norte ranked 3rd. LGUs of Davao del Sur also grabbed the top 3 spots in the 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities through the municipalities of Sulop, Hagonoy, and Magsaysay getting the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd spot, respectively. Lastly, Davao City was awarded being the most competitive highly urbanized city in Visayas and Mindanao.
The event also recognized the exemplary performance of the LGUs based on the competitiveness pillars.
For Economic Dynamism, still Tagum City bagged the number 1 spot, while Panabo City ranked 2nd, and Digos City ranked 3rd. Under the 1st to 2nd Class Municipalities, Malita of Davao Occidental sits on the 1st place, while New Bataan of Davao de Oro landed 2nd, and Kapalong of Davao del Norte landed 3rd. Also, for the 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur made its way being the 1st placer, while Montevista, Davao de Oro grabbed 2nd, and Sulop, Davao del Sur being 3rd.
On the other hand, under the Government Efficiency pillar, Tagum City, once again, ranked 1st, Mati City ranked 2nd, and Panabo City ranked 3rd. For the 1st to 2nd Class Municipalities, Carmen of Davao del Norte, Bansalan of Davao del Sur, and Nabunturan of Davao de Oro ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. While for the 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities, Magsaysay of Davao del Sur placed 1st, Hagonoy of Davao del Sur placed 2nd, and Sulop of Davao del Sur placed 3rd.
Under the Infrastructure Pillar, Tagum City grabbed the 1st place, Panabo City ranked 2nd, and Digos City ranked 3rd. Meanwhile, Davao de Oro LGUs grabbed the top 3 spots under the 1st to 2nd Class Municipalities, recognizing Compostela, Nabunturan, and Laak being 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, respectively. At the same time, Davao del Sur made its name for the 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities by having Sulop sitting at the 1st spot, Magsaysay at 2nd spot, and Padada at the 3rd spot.
For Resiliency, under the component cities category, Tagum City ranked 1st, Panabo City ranked 2nd, and Digos City ranked 3rd. Under the 1st to 2nd Class Municipalities, Carmen of Davao del Norte ranked 1st, Bansalan of Davao del Sur ranked 2nd, and Monkayo of Davao de Oro ranked 3rd. While for the 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities, Magsaysay of Davao del Sur ranked 1st, Hagonoy of Davao del Sur ranked 2nd, and Sulop of Davao del Sur ranked 3rd.
Lastly, the event also gave recognition to those who have shown great efforts in boosting their local competitiveness through the Most Improve LGU award. Digos City ranked 1st, Mati City ranked 2nd, and IGACOS ranked 3rd, among 5 Component Cities in Davao Region. While, Laak of Davao de Oro, Mabini of Davao de Oro, and Santo Tomas of Davao del Norte ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, most improved 1st to 2nd Class Municipalities. For the 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities, Padada of Davao del Sur placed 1st, Don Marcelino of Davao Occidental placed 2nd, and Braulio E. Dujali of Davao del Norte placed 3rd.
“We hope to see more LGUs improving their competitiveness and welcome more investments as they continuously develop their investment climates,” Ambi concluded. ♦
Date of Release: 9 March 2022