Participants of Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Workshop: Cultivating Advantages To Achieve Lasting Competitiveness (CATALYST)

The Department of Trade and Industry Region 4-A conducted the 2024 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) Workshop: Cultivating Advantages To Achieve Lasting Competitiveness (CATALYST) on April 18, 2024 at the DTI 4-A Regional Office, Calamba City, Laguna. This event was designed to bring together CMCI Provincial Focal Persons from DTI Provincial Offices and representatives from the Provincial Government of the five provinces in the region: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon, discussing opportunities for improvement in the CMCI pillars/indicators and determine recommendations and/or possible interventions for a better CMCI Cycle performance for the local government units (LGUs) in CALABARZON.

Assistant Regional Director Revelyn A. Cortez saying her welcoming remarks during the workshop

“We aspire that these CMCI improvements translate into sustained or increased investment inflows into the Region by enhancing the scores and subsequent ranks of all 142 LGUs in the CALABARZON,” said DTI 4-A Assistant Regional Director Revelyn A. Cortez in her welcome remarks.

The CATALYST Workshop helped the participants analyze the CMCI data trends of their respective LGUs over the last five years and identify potential interventions to increase their CMCI scores, particularly under the Government Efficiency and Resiliency Pillars.

The CALABARZON Region has been competitively participating in the CMCI since its launching in 2012. On its 10th year run last 2023, the DTI- Bureau of Industry Planning and Innovation revamped the recognition rites for the CMCI and launched the Philippine Creative Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Congress to incorporate the Creative Industry to the CMCI.

Regional Director Marissa C. Argente saying how grateful she is to the participation and support of the LGUs

“I am very grateful to all our LGUs and the Provincial Government Offices in our region for your active participation and strong motivation to enhance your CMCI data and performances. We hope that the valuable data that we will generate from this will benefit your constituents,” said DTI 4-A Regional Director Marissa C. Argente.

CMCI is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Rankings of Cities and Municipalities are based on the sum of their scores on 5 Pillars: Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Innovation. Provincial rankings are based on population and income weighted average of the Overall scores of cities and municipalities under a province. ♦

Date of release: 18 April 2024