ILOILO CITY — The province of Iloilo has been awarded as the Most Competitive Province in Western Visayas region.
The provincial government of Iloilo garnered the award in the provincial category of the 2021 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) that is initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said the award is a manifestation of the combined efforts of the local government units (LGUs) in the 42 towns and component city of Passi in improving competitiveness.
Defensor underscored that economic dynamism, government Efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency were still prioritized even as the provincial government had to address the challenges of COVID-19 for most the year.
While Iloilo emerged on top for this year’s competitiveness ranking, Defensor emphasized that local economies in the region are intertwined and that LGUs must collaborate to further boost regional development.
“We should not really be competing with each other. We don’t mean to compete; we just mean to excel. We just want to beat our own limits. We want to exceed our present capacity so we can extend to our fellow LGUs,” Defensor pointed out.
Meanwhile, Defensor assured that the Iloilo provincial government is really pushing for the expansion of the port in Dumangas town.
“The port will not only serve the people of Iloilo, but the whole of Panay Island. Connectivity is one of the challenges we are facing,” Defensor said.