ZAMBOANGA CITY—Among the country’s 34 highly urbanized cities, Zamboanga was rated lowest in three pillars of measurement this year, the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index said.
The CMCI is an arm of the National Competitiveness Council which measures local government units’ competitiveness based on economic dynamism (ED), government efficiency (GE), and infrastructure.
The CMCI reported that Zamboanga emerged last in terms of ED in which it placed 26th in 2015. CMCI associates ED with activities that create stable expansion of business and industries and higher employment.
Zamboanga, CMCI said, plunged to 30th compared to its 15th rank last year in GE which “refers to the quality and reliability of government services and support for effective and sustainable productive expansion.”
CMCI noted that from overall 3rd in 2015, the city fell to 18th place in infrastructure, which include to physical building blocks that connect, expand and sustain a locality and its surroundings to provide goods and services.
Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar attributed the city’s latest CMCI dismal rank “to stiff rivalry in governance among competing HUCs that maximize their performance for each year.”
Quezon City, Makati City and Pasay City placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd , respectively, in this year’s Regional Competitiveness Summit, CMCI said.