ZAMBOANGA CITY – Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba graced the 2020 Zamboanga Penisula Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Awarding Ceremony on Thursday, 22 April 2021 via Zoom.
The ceremony was attended by ZamPen Regional Competitiveness Committee (RCC) Chair Regional Director (RD) Ceferino J. Rubio of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – Region 9, Co-Vice Chair RD Paisal O. Abutazil of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) – Region 9, Co-Vice Chair Pedro Rufo “Cholo” N. Soliven of Zamboanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc., DTI-Region 9 Provincial Directors, RDs and representatives of member agencies: Department of Science Technology (DOST) Region 9, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Region 9, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Region 9, Department of Information and Communications Technology Mindanao Cluster (DICT-MC), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 9, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Region 9, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Region 9, Department of Education (DepEd) Region 9, Department of Agriculture (DA) Region 9, ZamboEcozone, Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Region 9, Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 9; Academe: Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU), Western Mindanao State University (WMSU), Unibersidad de Zamboanga (UZ); Private sector: Industrial Group of Zamboanga (IGZI), Southern Philippine Deep Sea Fishing Association (SOPHIL), Zamboanga ICT Council, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Region 9, Mr. Jose Suan of the Regional Development Council- Private Sector Representatives (RDC-PSR); and the local chief executives, officials, and employees of the various Local Government Units in the region.
Year 2020 was the 8th year of the CMCI. At the regional level, the awarding is held to recognize LGUs with outstanding performance following the national ranking in the four pillars of the index: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure and Resiliency for each of these categories: Component Cities, 1st-2nd Class Municipalities, 3rd-4th Class Municipalities, 5th-6th Class Municipalities. In addition, those LGUs who have significantly scaled up their ranks were also awarded under the Most Improved LGUs and Overall Competiveness both in the regional and national levels.
Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba, in her keynote message challenged the LGUs to further their rankings in each of the four (4) pillars for the years to come.
“For 2021, innovation will form part of the CMCI as the 5th pillar. Innovation fulfills a key role in the formulation and implementation of the Inclusive Innovation Industrial Strategy (i3S) and in the establishment of an inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in collaboration with other government agencies, industry and the academe under the Inclusive Filipinnovation and Entrepreneurship Roadmap”, Aldaba emphasized.
RCC Chair, RD Ceferino J. Rubio in his welcome message also thanked the members of the Regional Competitiveness Committee (RCC) who have remained supportive to the programs, projects, activities of the committee for the improvement of the competitiveness of the LGUs in the region.
RCC Co-Vice Chair Pedro Rufo N. Soliven did his share in the presentation of the overview of the CMCI. It started in 2012 and was developed by the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) through the RCCs with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). This initiative is in support of building national competitiveness through the strategic promotion of regional competitiveness.
The ceremony was highlighted by the virtual awarding of the plaques of recognition to the 2020 top three (3) LGUs in terms of Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency, Most Improved LGUs and Overall Competitiveness for the various categories- Component Cities, 1st-2nd Class Municipalities, 3rd-4th Class Municipalities, 5th-6th Class Municipalities. The omplete list of LGU-awardees can be accessed at the DTI-Region 9 Facebook page.
RCC Co-Vice Chair RD Paisal O. Abutazil in his forwarding statement also commended the LGUs for bringing positive and meaningful changes in their communities not only to advance the economy but also to bring developments to the lives of their constituents. “The regional competitiveness index has been inspiring LGUs to do more in providing avenues for local developments,” he said. ♦
(L-R) Zamboanga bagged the 15th Place Overall Rank and 10th Place in terms of Economic Dynamism for the HUC Category in the national level while Pagadian City topped in terms of Overall Competitiveness for the Component Cities Category in the regional level. Imelda, ZSP as 7th Placer and Guipos, Zamboanga del Sur as 8th Placer in the Most Improved LGUs, 3rd-4th class Municipalities category in the national level.
Date of Release: 14 May 2021