[ Manila Bulletin Online ] July 5, 2008
By KRIS BAYOS
The cities of Makati, Manila, Marikina, Quezon, Davao, and Lapu-Lapu led the 25 top performing metropolises recognized yesterday by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center (AIMPC) in its Philippine Cities Competitive Ranking Project (PCCRP) for 2007.
From the 90 cities surveyed nationwide for the project, the six cities were rated as top performing among the country’s 20 metro cities.
Cabanatuan, General Santos, Lucena, Olongapo, San Pablo, Tagum and Tarlac were likewise recognized as among the 25 medium-sized cities.
For the small-sized metropolises, the cities of Bayawan, Calapan, Calbayog, Dagupan, Dipolog, Laoag, San Fernando (La Union), Malaybalay, Naga, Surigao, Tagbilaran, and Tuguegarao were listed as top ranking from the 45 cities covered in this category.
The cities were rated based on such factors as dynamism of the local economy, cost of doing business, infrastructure, human resources and training, responsiveness of local government units to business needs and quality of life.
Saying city competitiveness is vital in national development, AIMPC executive director Dr. Federico Macaranas said they conducted the study to promote national competitiveness by encouraging healthy competition among highly urbanized and emerging cities.
"By gathering and compiling strategic data and providing focused analyses of the results, the PCCRP also seeks to cultivate competitive industries, promote healthy communities and maximize the economic performance and responsiveness to business enterprise," Macaranas said.
Launched in 1999, the PCCRP is a biennial independent study conducted throughout the archipelago to rank cities on the basis of economic performance and responsiveness to business enterprise.
"Over the years, the PCCRP results have served as benchmarks for local chief executives, city planners, and economic and development managers in improving their development strides in their cities," Macaranas said.
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