Building on years of steady growth and innovation, Tacloban City has secured its place as one of the Philippines’ top-performing cities in the 2024 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI).
The city ranked 10th among the Most Improved Local Government Units (LGUs) under the Highly Urbanized Cities (HUCs) category and 9th in the Most Competitive HUC for Government Efficiency pillar.
The CMCI, developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees with support from the United States Agency for International Development, evaluates the cities and municipalities nationwide based on five major pillars, including Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Innovation, the newest addition. These pillars gauge each LGU’s capacity to bring up strategies that promote development, respond to challenges, and adopt forward-thinking solutions.
In a regional awarding ceremony held on November 5, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) honored Eastern Visayas LGUs for their contributions to the CMCI. Representing Tacloban City, Councilor Elvira Casal, and Environmental Planner Janis Claire Canta, the City Planning and Development Coordinator, accepted the awards on behalf of Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
DTI-8 Information Officer Anthea Aivi Ancheta lauded the dedication of Tacloban and other LGUs in the region, saying “It is your efforts that have boosted our competitive index. This shows that our cities and municipalities in Eastern Visayas are continually progressing, which is an encouraging sign for our potential investors who value both local good governance and the CMCI standing.”
Since 2016, Tacloban has consistently positioned in the top 20 Most Improved HUC rankings, obtaining first place in 2017 and second in 2021. As a gateway to EV, the city remains focused on leading in governance and driving regional economic development.
Meanwhile, in a post, Mayor Romualdez celebrated these accolades, noting “This victory is a milestone for us as the only HUC and Capital City of Eastern Visayas. It reflects our dedication to continuously improve our city for the welfare and progress of our people, especially the Taclobanons.”
New this year, the CMCI also introduced Intellectual Property awards to acknowledge and protect the rights and contributions of artists, scientists, inventors, and other individuals.
In the 2024 rankings, all 1,634 cities and municipalities across the country participated, with 143 from Region 8. Among these, 14 LGUs in the region achieved top-10 placements in various categories, reflecting EV’s rising competitiveness on the national scene.