Zambo bags 3 awards in Phil cities competitiveness project
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21 July 2010
Mayor Celso Lobregat personally accepted the citations—Special Award for Best Documentation, Special Award for Best in Disaster Preparedness and Entrepreneurs’ Award for Most Honest and Transparent in its Dealings—during a program held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City Monday, July 19.
Mayor Celso Lobregat is presented with one of the three awards that the city government of Zamboanga bagged during the 2009 Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project held in Manila July 19. Looking on are mayors of other cities that are also recipients of citations in the Asian Institute of Management (AIM)-initiated project. JOEY BAUTISTA
The project measures the competitiveness of cities by analyzing relevant indicators of local economic and political systems and the capability of cities to provide an environment that nurtures dynamism of its local enterprises and prosperity of its residents. It formulates a process and technology with which the development strides of cities can be regularly monitored and evaluated. Moreover, the project constructs a benchmarking method that will aid individual cities in measuring their level of competitiveness in relation to other cities.
The AIM Policy Center’s City Competitiveness Program ranks the overall competitiveness of Philippine urban centers based on the following drivers of competitiveness: costs of doing business, dynamism of the local economy, human resources and training, infrastructure, responsiveness of the local government to business sector’s needs, and quality of life.
Drivers of competitiveness for the 2009 PCCRP included dynamism of local economy (the level of activity in the city that generates investment and opportunities for business); Infrastructure (the availability and condition of road networks as well as coverage and reliability of utility vehicles); Responsiveness of LGU to business needs (the degree to which the local government facilitates or hinders doing business through its regulations, programs and plans); Quality of life (the level of safety and the quality of the environment); Cost of doing business (the minimum cost items for operating a business); and Human resources and training (the quality and availability of local manpower and potential workforce).
The data was obtained through hard data collection, perception survey and key informant interview. The cities were classified according to average annual income based on the previous calendar years.
Zamboanga City is categorized as one of the growth centers included in the ranking project. The other cities falling under the same category are Baguio Olongapo Batangas Iloilo Bacolod Mandaue Lapu-Lapu Cagayan de Oro and General Santos.
Meanwhile, Mayor Lobregat expressed elation that the city government’s efforts towards improving the living conditions of the constituents are being recognized and appreciated by award giving bodies and institutions.
He said the city will do its utmost to further bring about progress and development to Zamboanga and its people. (Sheila Covarrubias)