The year 2017 marked another milestone for the Municipality of Garcia-Hernandezas it was conferred with an award as the 2nd Most Improved LGUin the 2017 Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) during the 5th Regional Competitiveness Summit and Awards Ceremony held on August 16, 2017 at the Reception Hall of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines.
The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index 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.
Cities and municipalities are ranked on their competitiveness based on an overall competitiveness score. The overall competitiveness score is the sum of scores on three main pillars which pool data from several sub-indicators.
The three main pillars are: economic dynamism, government efficiency and infrastructure. Scores are determined by the values of the actual data, as well as the completeness of the submitted data. The higher the score of a city or municipality, the more competitive it is.
Under the category of 3rd to 6th Class Municipalities, the Municipality of Garcia-Hernandez jumps from rank 702 in 2016 to rank 94 in 2017 making it second most improved LGU among all the municipalities in this category.
Present during the ceremony to receive the award on behalf of the LGU were Mayor Tita Baja-Gallentes, MLGOO Ismael Vincent Igcalinos and Mrs.Serina Cadenas, Municipal Treasurer. The activity was graced by no other than Atty. Rodolfo Salalima, Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), who was also the keynote speaker.
Likewise, informative talks on salient innovations adopted and implemented by LGUs to upgrade their services to the clientele like the Makatizen Card by Mayor Abigail Binay of Makati, CDO E-Payment Service by Mayor Oscar Moreno of Cagayan de Oro City and Building a Financially Inclusive Ecosystem by Mr. Alberto Tino of G-Exchange Incorporated, also added significance to the annual event.
Mayor Gallentes wished to thank all the hardworking men and women of the LGU who in one way or another made this great achievement of the municipality under her administration possible. She recognized the efforts and contribution of every department of the LGU in their commitment to improve the frontline service especially in the area of business and licenses to better serve the constituents.
This story was first Published in the Bohol Chronicle newspaper on August 20, 2017.