Most competitive component city 2017: Naga is 2nd, Legazpi in 5th

By Jose B. Perez, Editor PASAY CITY --- Scoring high on government efficiency, economic dynamism, and infrastructure development, Naga City, erstwhile topnotcher for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016), slipped to second place overall in this year’s ranking for the most competitive component cities in the country as it failed to rate better in a fourth criterion introduced in this year’s ranking – resiliency. Every year since 2014, the National Competitiveness Council names the most competitive LGUs to recognize their crucial role in promoting competitiveness in the country. In yesterday’s (August 16) awarding rites at the PICC plenary hall, Naga was dislodged by Antipolo City as the Most Competitive Component City for 2017. On 3rd place is Tagum City (Mindanao). San Fernando City of Pampanga was in fourth place while another Bicol city – Legazpi – made it to 5th place. Legazpi City was the 3rd most competitive component city in 2016 when Naga won for the second time as the most component competitive city during that same year In a breaking news dispatched to this paper last night, Naga is No. 1 in Government Efficiency, and No. 3 in both Economic Dynamism and Infrastructure Development while it was rated No. 13 in Resiliency, a new criterion that was topped by Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, and Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro, the latter in second place. Antipolo is No. 1 in infrastructure development, followed by Tagum City and Naga City in that order. In economic dynamism, General Frias City (Cavite) is first, followed by San Fernando City (Pampanga) and Naga City, in that order. The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) which was utilized n the ranking of LGUs by the National Competitiveness Council used to measure LGU’s competitiveness based on the three pillars only: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, and Infrastructure. For 2017 ranking, however, Resiliency as the fourth pillar of competitiveness was added, in cognizance of the climate change and global disaster risk phenomena obtaining in recent years and how the LGUs are handling or preparing for them. The other categories in the competitiveness ranking, aside from component cities, are for Municipalities, Provinces, and Highly Urbanized Cities. Three years ago (2014), Daet in Camarines Norte was adjudged as the most competitive municipality in the country. It has not succeeded to recover its exalted title nor landed in the Top Ten since then. Quezon City is the overall most competitive highly urbanized city, followed by Manila, and Davao City, in that order.