Three Sarangani towns were named among the country’s top 14 most competitive municipal governments for resiliency in this year’s National Virtual Summit of the Cities and Municipalities Competitive Index (CMCI) held in Gen. Santos City.
Malungon, Maasim and Alabel towns were ranked 3rd, 13th, and 14th, respectively, the first time that three towns from Sarangani bagged the top rankings.
The CMCI is an annual ranking developed by the National Competitiveness Council and the Department of Trade and Industry, with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development to stimulate competition among local government units (LGUs).
The annual awards started in 2014 and is anchored on the four pillars of economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency.
The highest-ranking among the municipalities, Malungon has earmarked a specific budget for disaster risk reduction and procurement of emergency response equipment, which are among the top indicators for the resiliency pillar.
Based on CMCI criteria, resiliency is the capacity of the LGUs to uphold or continue and expand the businesses despite the calamities and pandemic, and the ability to maintain a globally competitive environment.
Malungon is the cradle of indigenous culture and an urbanizing town, Maasim is a center for tourism with its scuba diving and paragliding sites, while Alabel is an investment and government hub.
Sarangani governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said the exponential improvement in standing can be credited to the province’s Sulong Sarangani programs which merges infrastructure, health, indigenous peoples, and economic and social services for a holistic impact to the communities.
The province itself was named as the country’s 6th most competitive province in the 2017 CMCI ranking.