The Department of Trade and Industry in Western Visayas (DTI 6) said the region excels in the aspects of government efficiency and resilience.

The DIT has cited the towns and cities during the recognition ceremony for competitive local government units in a hotel here.

In an interview, DTI 6 regional director Rebecca Rascon said the region scored high on resilience and good governance.

Government efficiency refers to the quality and reliability of government services and government support for effective and sustainable productive expansion while resiliency refers to the ability of the people, households, communities, countries, and systems to mitigate, adapt to and recover from shocks and stresses and manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth.

“We scored high in resiliency since Iloilo City was a national winner, and we are also high on the good governance,” Rascon said.

Iloilo City won first place resilience in the highly urbanized city category of the cities and municipalities’ competitiveness index (CMCI) Awards 2019 at the 7th Regional Competitiveness Summit on Oct. 24.

Rascon said the region can still improve on the infrastructure and economic dynamism.

“We are low in the infrastructure because when you spend internal funds, you need not depend on the national government so we are low on that aspect,” she said.

The region can also boost the presence of banks, educational facilities, government hospital facilities, to also level up it’s standing in economic dynamism.

Rascon said the location in the region where economic dynamism and infrastructure can be improved.

“We are looking at Malay (Aklan) on economic dynamism and infrastructure because of Boracay,” she said.

For 2019, Aklan was cited as the most competitive province in Western Visayas.

For economic dynamism, the municipalities and cities of Calinog, Guimbal, Roxas City and Bacolod stood out.

The towns of Santa Barbara, Alimodian, Kabankalan, and the city of Iloilo were recognized for government efficiency while the towns of Malay, Zarraga, Kabankalan, and the city of Bacolod was awarded for infrastructure.

The towns of Tigbauan and Ivisan, and the cities of Cadiz and Iloilo, meanwhile, were recognized for infrastructure.

The result was based on the local data capture sheet analyzed by the competitiveness bureau, Rascon said. (PNA)