The province of La Union was once again named as the 7th most competitive province nationwide through the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI), during the Creative Cities and Municipalities Index Congress 2024 on August 23, 2024 at the Manila Hotel, City of Manila.
La Union earned the recognition for its exemplary performance in five evaluation areas, called CMCI pillars, namely Government Efficiency, Economic Dynamism, Infrastructure, Resiliency & Innovation.
The award made La Union retain its spot as 7th most competitive province in the entire country for two consecutive years, making it the only province in the Ilocos Region that qualified in the Top 10.
La Union Governor Raphaelle Veronica Ortega-David said that the award is reflective of the synergy and dynamism of the people of La Union, under the banner of La Union PROBINSYAnihan. She likewise highlighted the contribution of each local government unit (LGU) in boosting the province’s competitiveness and economic growth.
Local Economic Enterprise and Investment Promotions Unit Assistant Department Head Angela Grace Peralta said that the performances of the component LGUs were instrumental for the award. “The CMCI measures the competitiveness of all LGUs in the Philippines. It is truly reflective of the performance at the grassroots. The screening and validation of the submitted modes of verification is rigorous & very detailed,” Peralta said.
This is now the highest ranking of La Union since CMCI started in 2015.
“As we aim to be the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon, we continue to establish a vibrant and sustainable economy in La Union as there are a lot of opportunities and potentials in business, investment and employment here in our province,” the Governor said.
Moreover, other component LGUs were also recognized and received multiple awards. The City Government of San Fernando placed ninth in the overall most competitive component city, first in the Government efficiency pillar, and fifth in the Resiliency pillar. LGU Agoo ranked tenth in the Government efficiency and Resiliency pillar; LGU Rosario landed sixth in the Resiliency pillar; LGU Santo Tomas garnered the third spot in the Resiliency pillar; and LGU Pugo bagged the sixth spot in the Resiliency pillar.
The CMCI is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees that evaluate the competitiveness of cities and municipalities.
The Provincial Government of La Union (PGLU) remains committed to develop and strengthen programs focused on the different pillars that will further drive economic growth and enhance the competitiveness of the different LGUs in the province.
The PGLU is set to receive the award in November 2024.
