The provincial government of Bulacan has retained its rank as the 10th Most Competitive Province in the country as cited by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during the 10th Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Summit held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City last Oct. 20.
This was confirmed by the Provincial Public Affairs Office (PPAO) chief Katrina Anne B. Balingit on Wednesday morning, Oct. 26. She said this is another proof of good and responsive governance under the administration of Gov. Daniel Fernando.
Balingit said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual led the recognition of the local government units (LGUs) that excelled through the leadership of their local chief executives (LCEs).
Pascual said the work of the LGUs and their leaders contributes to the overall competitiveness of the country.
“We know the Philippines possesses the right institution and innovation capabilities that allow micro and macro-economic activities to function effectively. However, our country still has a vast potential for improvement, and we have to work together to achieve a higher ranking for our country compared to our neighbors in the region,” Pascual said.
Fernando was very thankful for the double achievement of the province. Recently, Bulacan was also awarded as the Most Business-Friendly Province.
He said the province will strive for continuous development and improved efficiency, effectiveness, and competitive advantage of Bulacan.
Aside from the province, the Municipality of Baliwag was adjudged as 2nd Most Competitive Municipality among 1st to 2nd class municipalities.
Baliwag also got the 4th place for both resiliency and government efficiency pillars, 6th for infrastructure, 7th for innovation, and 8th for economic dynamism.
The Municipality of Santa Maria ranked No. 5 for economic dynamism and No. 9 for infrastructure.
The ranking of each local government unit is measured through their performance on Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Innovation.