DTI names “Most Improved” Bicol LGUs

By Bobby Q. Labalan

Legazpi City---Tabaco City topped the list of Most Improved City for 2023 while Pilar town in Sorsogon copped the Most Improved Municipality under the 1st to 2nd Class category, Canaman, Camarines Sur for 3rd to 4th Class and San Lorenzo Ruiz, Camarines Norte for 5th to 6th Class category.

The ranking was released by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTO) as part of the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) which measures the competitiveness of each local government unit (LGUs) using five parameters.

Out of the annual competitiveness rankings, the DTI determines which LGUs registered the most improvements in their year-on-year ranking based on the parameters called pillars which include Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Innovation.

Those who topped the competitiveness ranking do not necessarily mean they also topped the “most improved” list and those who topped the “most improved” list do not necessarily mean they got high marks in the competitiveness ranking.

The most improved list shows the number of rungs a certain LGU leaped from its competitiveness ranking in 2023 compared to 2022 nationwide.

Based on the list of “most improved” cities, Tabaco City was ranked 93 in 2022 and jumped to rank 47 in 2023; Sorsogon was second from rank 80 in 2022 to rank 61 in 2023; Masbate City at third from rank 85 in 2022 to rank 84 last year; followed by Naga City and Legazpi City which did not move as they maintained their competitiveness rankings in 2022 and 2023 at 1st and 2nd places respectively.

Ligao City and Iriga City failed to improve their rankings with Ligao City slipping to rank 40 last year from rank 37 in 2022 while Iriga City went down by 16 notches from rank 20 in 2022 down to rank 36 last year.

The Top 10 for 1st to 2nd class municipalities are Pilar town which logged the biggest improvement from 422 in 2022 to rank 163 last year followed by Placer, Masbate at rank 264 this year from rank 504 in 2022, Calabanga, Camarines Sur from rank 419 to rank 310; Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte at rank 290 from rank 371; Virac, Catanduanes rank 173 from rank 227; Libmanan, Camarines Sur rank 375 from rank 429; Bulan, Sorsogon at rank 315 from rank 354; Tinambac, Camarines Sur at rank 466 from rank 501; Nabua, Camarines Sur rank 406 from rank 435 and Bula, Camarines Sur at rank 203 from rank 222.

For the 3rd to 4th Class Municipalities, the Top 10 performers were Canaman, Camarines Sur at rank 196from rank 578; Capalonga, Camarines Norte at rank 194 from rank 485; Santa Elena, Camarines Norte at rank 361 from rank 650; Uson, Masbate at rank 311 from rank 596; Bato, Camarines at rank 355 from rank 626; Magarao, Camarines Sur at 442 from rank 633; San Fernando, Camarines Surat rank 146 from rank 329; Dimasalang, Masbate at rank 372 from rank 537; Minalabac, Camarines Sur at rank 314 from rank 462 and Bulusan, Sorsogon at rank 469 from rank 616.

As for the 5th to 6th Class towns, the Top 10 most improved are San Lorenzo Ruiz, Camarines Norte which jumped to rank 87 in 2023 from rank 175 in 2022; Bagamanoc, Catanduanes at rank 229 from rank 281; Gainza,

Camarines Surat rank 221 from rank 269; Bombon, Camarines Sur at rank 248 from rank 291; Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon at rank 196 from rank 228; San Fernando, Masbate at rank 255 from rank 287; Gigmoto, Catanduanes at rank 231 from rank 262; Esperanza, Masbate at rank 268 from rank 295; Camaligan, Camarines Surat rank 64 from rank 83 and Barcelona town in Sorsogonat rank 25 from rank 41.