Quezon City is top local gov’t, back as PHL’s most competitive city

By Claire Morales True

QUEZON CITY – The Quezon City government has emerged as the country’s best local government unit with the highest nominal locally sourced revenues of P21.57 billion, eclipsing Makati City and Manila.

Mayor Josefina Belmonte received four awards from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) of the Department of Interior and Local Government during a recognition program held in Mabalacat City, Pampanga.

In another development, Quezon City was adjudged as the country’s most competitive city in this year’s Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI), an annual ranking of cities and municipalities across the country that builds, maps out and tracks local competitiveness.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez said during the 9th Regional Competitiveness Summit that Quezon City landed in the top three in four pillars of the CMCI, which include economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency.

Quezon City placed second for economic dynamism, government efficiency, and infrastructure pillars, and third for resiliency pillars.

Following Quezon City as the country’s most competitive city is Manila, which slipped by a notch in the ranking. The Philippine capital was CMCI 2020’s most competitive city.

In this year’s index, Manila also led Philippine cities in the pillars of government efficiency and infrastructure.

Pasay City has maintained its ranking at third place for two consecutive years.

Pasay City landed the top position in terms of economic dynamism.

Davao City was displaced in the top three most competitive cities during this year’s CMCI after data from Quezon City local government unit (LGU) were captured for CMCI 2021.

In the BLGF-DILG rites in Mabalacat City, four plaques were awarded to Mayor Joy Belmonte.

The Quezon City government achieved number one in the 2020 category of “Highest Nominal Locally Sourced Revenues” among LGUs in the National Capital Region with P21.57-B, over Makati and Manila. The LGU also topped a similar category this time, including all cities in the country.

Quezon City was also named the best on “Year-on- year Growth in Locally Sourced Revenues” category achieving a 15.6 percent growth or one-year increase of P2.94-billion collection for 2020 over Paranaque’s 12.9 percent and Malabon’s 7.8 percent.

The unprecedented grand slam of QC LGU on revenue collection , was also capped by a third award on the category “Year-on-Year Growth in Locally Sourced Revenues” in all cities nationwide.

The awarding ceremonies highlighted an online speech by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez , and presided by DOF-BLGF Executive Director Niño Raymond Alvina, Deputy Directors Ma. Pamela Quizon and Atty. Flosia Fanlo-Tayag.