The Cebu City government is confident to achieve the top rank of being the most improved highly-urbanized city (HUC) in the Philippines with its Singapore-inspired development, Mayor Michael Rama said on Monday.
The city is ranked 13th in the latest City and Municipalities Competitive Index (CMCI) out of the 33 HUCs in the country but Rama said they are gunning for a higher through the “out of the box” reforms his team has implemented in terms of governance, resource generation, infrastructure development, economic dynamism, innovations, and climate resiliency.
“I am elated by the report of the CMCI that we placed 13th from among the (33) HUCs around the country. But we are continuously striving hard to do more, aligning our priorities along that line,” Rama told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
This capital city garnered a score of 41.7344, placing ninth in terms of economic dynamism with a score of 5.9998; 14th in government efficiency with a score of 10.6502; 17th in terms of infrastructure with a score of 5.2588; 30th in resiliency with 11.3253; and 12th in terms of innovation with 8.5003.
The CMCI report said Quezon City topped 32 others as the most competitive HUCs in the country, followed by Pasay and Manila for second and third ranks, respectively.
After Manila, Iloilo placed fourth, followed by Muntinlupa, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, Makati, Pasig, and Valenzuela as fifth to 10th rank.
Before this capital city were General Santos and Caloocan. But after Cebu City is its neighboring city of Mandaue.
The other HUCs are Puerto Princesa (15th), Bacolod (16th), Baguio (17th), Tacloban (18th), Taguig (19th), Butuan (20th), Mandaluyong (21st), Zamboanga (22nd), Marikina 23rd), Parañaque (24th), Lucena (25th), Iligan (26th), Angeles (27th), Lapu-Lapu (29th), Las Piñas (30th), Navotas (31st), Malabon (32nd), and San Juan (33rd).
The right-sizing effort at the Cebu City Hall will increase the governance efficiency and improve the local government’s resource utilization, Rama said.
He said the “war on floods” now headed by former Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu forms part of the city’s resiliency programs which has targeted the demolition of big establishments that failed to build water catchment to prevent inundation.
CMCI is an annual ranking of cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development.
The data and results generated serve as a benchmark for government agencies and investors to closely monitor cities and make decisions for budgeting or investing. (PNA)
