KORONADAL CITY, 28 January – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region 12 and the Regional Competitiveness Coordinating Committee (RC3) recognized the local government units (LGUs) of the five cities, 11 municipalities and the four provinces of Region 12 as the top 50 best performing LGUs of the Philippines in the 2020 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) during the 7th Region 12 CMCI Awarding Ceremony on Thursday.
The municipalities of Norala and Aleosan under the 3rd to 4th Class Municipality Category were awarded the national 2020 CMCI after placing 30th and 48th respectively out of the 611 3rd to 4th class municipalities in the country.
Nine of the 1st to 2nd class municipalities of the region have outscored the other 480 municipalities in the areas of economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency. These municipalities are Midsayap (14th), Polomolok (15th), Kabacan (16th), Isulan (18th), Malungon (29th), Surallah (30th), Mlang (40th), Pikit (45th), and Alabel (50th).
The four component cities of the region were also awarded under the Component Cities Category with Cotabato City landing as the 20th out of the 112 component cities, and the cities of Kidapawan, Koronadal, and Tacurong placing overall as 20th, 26th, 38th, and 46th respectively.
Of the 32 highly urbanized cities, General Santos City landed in 16th place.
Meanwhile, South Cotabato and Cotabato Province shared a hair-thin provincial score of 40.68 versus 40.48 thus landing the 11th and 12th place rankings. Sarangani got the 21st spot while Sultan Kudarat in the 36th.
The LGUs of Pikit and Aleosan were also awarded special citations as among the most improved LGUs with Pikit climbing 75 notches from the 2019 rank of 120 to rank 45 in 2020, and Aleosan rising by 39 notches.
RD Jude Constantine S. Jaugan, regional director of DTI-Region 12 and chair of RC3, congratulated the winning LGUs and for having 100% participation of Region 12 in the CMCI.
“We are happy to note that since CMCI was launched in 2013, several LGUs of Region 12 have consistently made it to the Top 50 Rankings– a great feat which resulted from your continued work and active participation,” said Jaugan in his message to the local chief executives and CMCI coordinators.
With his congratulatory message, Jaugan also challenged the LGUs to continue in their efforts to increase their ranking for 2021, “We are hoping that you will not settle with your laurels but will push through with this initiative and continue looking for so we thrive in the new normal.”
The CMCI is an annual ranking developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the RC3 with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development to stimulate competition among LGUs.♦
Date of Release: 29 January 2021