ILOILO City – This southern city has earned another distinction: it now ranks as the fourth Most Competitive Highly Urbanized City (HUC) in the Philippines and is notably the highest-ranked city outside the National Capital Region (NCR).
Moving up from its Top 7 placement last year, Iloilo City rose three spots in the 2023 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) by the Department of Trade and Industry – Competitiveness Bureau (DTI-CB).
“We are a step closer to achieving our goal of being among the Top 3 most competitive HUCs in the country by 2028. This is a great achievement. I am very proud of our team,” said Mayor Jerry P. Treñas.
In the rankings, Iloilo City surpassed cities like Muntinlupa, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Makati, Pasig, and Valenzuela in the Top 10.
Furthermore, the city achieved the No. 2 rank in Government Efficiency, No. 4 for both Innovation and Economic Dynamism, No. 5 in Resiliency, and No. 9 in Infrastructure.
To enhance the city’s competitiveness even more, Treñas announced plans for the city government to consult with the academe.
“This is very important for us. It ensures our continued competitiveness,” emphasized Treñas, aligning with his vision of enriching the city and its residents.
Specifically, Treñas underlined the importance of Iloilo City remaining attractive to investors.
“More investments equate to more jobs and increased economic opportunities for the Ilonggos,” he explained.
“It’s not only us who recognize our achievements. Numerous local government units approach us for benchmarking. We inspire them to excel as well,” Treñas added, highlighting a recent visit from officials of Romblon province.
During the Philippine Creative Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Congress organized by DTI-CB at the Manila Hotel on Sept. 28, the award was accepted on behalf of the city mayor by Local Economic Development and Investment Promotion (LEDIP) office head, Velma Lao, and Project Development Officer, Lea Lara.
Lao commented, “This isn’t the work of just a few. It’s the culmination of combined efforts across all city government departments.”
She further credited the strong leadership of Mayor Treñas, saying, “Good governance and decisive leadership are paramount. Mayor Treñas leads by example. If he didn’t push for it, we wouldn’t achieve it. His unwavering political will to instigate reform and changes is evident.”
She continued, “Our mayor isn’t satisfied with ‘good enough’. He drives us to excel, consistently reminding us that if we do something, we need to do it right.”
The conferment ceremony, themed “Building Creative Cities and Municipalities, Elevating Local Competitiveness”, was part of the 2023 Philippine Creative Industries Month (PCIM) celebration./PN
