Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte —INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City’s consistent performance based on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) competitiveness metrics is an indication and a reminder that the city is on the right track, Mayor Joy Belmonte said.
Belmonte said this on Friday after Quezon City consistently ranked within the top three in DTI’s competitiveness metrics, which was announced at the 10th Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Summit last October.
Under the category of highly urbanized cities, Quezon City was second-most competitive in terms of economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency, while getting top marks for innovation.
Quezon City was also hailed as overall, the most competitive highly-urbanized city, topping Manila which placed second, and then Pasay.
“(These awards were) a reminder that QC is on the right track, and that both government and QCitizens must work together to continuously improve our city,” Belmonte said.
According to Belmonte, these five indicators under the CMCI provide the local government a framework of where they can improve and focus.
“The five pillars of the CMCI provide a framework and a roadmap of the areas we want to excel in as a city,” she said.
“It is important to remember, however, that increased competitiveness must always be accompanied by inclusive growth, so we must also ensure that our gains are felt by the greatest number of people,” she added.
Under economic dynamism, Pasay bested Quezon City, while Iloilo and Manila were number one for government efficiency and infrastructure, respectively.Muntinlupa meanwhile was top for resiliency.
According to Quezon City’s Business Permits and Licensing Department (BPLD) head Margie Santos, the performance of the city in the 10th CMCI is an indication of the consistent service provided by — and steps taken — by the local government.
“Under Mayor Joy Belmonte’s guidance, our city has made massive strides in terms of ease-of-doing business, digital transformation, food security, and the swift delivery of basic services,” Santos said.
“We are particularly proud of how our QC Business One-Stop Shop (BOSS) is now considered a best-practice model when it comes (to) assisting local MSMEs (micro, small, and medium enterprises) and fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship,” she added.
The summit is an annual ranking of Philippine cities spearheaded by the DTI, with the aim of citing local government units that have made strides to improve their services.
Here are the other top cities and towns cited as ‘Overall Most Competitive’ during the CMCI Summit:
- 5th to 6th Class Municipalities: San Lorenzo, Guimaras
- 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities: Initao, Misamis Oriental
- 1st to 2nd Class Municipalities: Taytay, Rizal
- Component Cities: Naga, Camarines Sur
- Most Competitive Province: Rizal
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