Muntinlupa was recognized as No. 1 in resiliency and No. 5 overall most competitive among all highly urbanized cities in the country under the 2022 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI).
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) awarded outstanding local government units (LGUs) during the 10th Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Oct. 20.
According to the CMCI website, “local competitiveness is how a city or municipality knows its resources and how it uses these to improve its standard of living.”
LGUs were ranked based on CMCI’s five pillars: economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, resilience and innovation.
Innovation was added this year as the fifth pillar in the CMCI.
This is the third straight year that Muntinlupa topped the resiliency pillar among highly urbanized cities in the country.
“Resiliency is the capacity of a locality to facilitate businesses and industries to create jobs, raise productivity, and increase the incomes of citizens over time despite of the shocks and stresses it encounters,” according to the CMCI.
It added, “This implies that the role of local governments is critical in ensuring a competitive environment to make businesses sustain their profits, create jobs, and increase the productivity of its people. In order for localities to be able to do this, it must be resilient in its infrastructure, governance, social and environmental systems.”
The resiliency pillar is based on annual disaster drill, budget for disaster risk reduction and management plan, disaster risk reduction plan, emergency infrastructure, employed population, early warning system, local risk assessments, land use plan, sanitary system and utilities.
In addition, Muntinlupa is No. 4 in infrastructure and 10 in innovation among highly urbanized cities in the country.
Muntinlupa City Administrator Allan Cachuela and Local Economic and Investment Promotion Office head Gary Llamas represented Mayor Ruffy Biazon at the awarding ceremony.