San Fernando named most competitive small-sized city

SAN FERNANDO, La Union — This city, known as the "botanical garden city of the North," was adjudged as the most competitive among the 37 small-sized cities participating in the Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project 2005 conducted by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM)-Policy Center.

Leah Umali, AIM-Policy Center program manager for city competitiveness, announced here during a roadshow presentation last Tuesday that San Fernando, led by Mayor Mary Jane Ortega, topped the list of the 10 most competitive small-sized cities, followed by Tagbilaran City.

She said the eight other cities in the list are Dagupan, Legazpi, Koronadal, Naga, Olongapo, Sta. Rosa, Surigao, and Tagum.

Umali said the competitive cities program aims to motivate local governments to become effective "economic managers" of their own financial, natural, human and other resources.

The cities were ranked on the following criteria: linkages and accessibility, responsiveness to business needs, quality of life, quality of human resources, infrastructure, dynamism of the local economy, and cost of doing business.

"We would like to commend Mayor Ortega for being number one in effective leadership among the small-sized cities in the country as rated by the respondents of the study," said Dr. Reynaldo Bautista, dean of the College of Accountancy and Commerce of the St. Louis University in Baguio City.

"San Fernando City possesses transparent government and reasonable policies for the business environment. Your system of securing business permits is simple and efficient. You are the most honest in your dealings," Bautista added.

Ortega was elated about the results of the study, expressing hope that the city will maintain its status as the country’s most competitive small-sized city.

"We are very proud that we have finally improved our status because we were No. 4 when we first joined the competitive cities program in 1999. We ended up No. 3 in 2001, then No. 2 in 2003. And now finally, we are already No. 1," she said.

"This showed that we have improved on our weaknesses, (and) we have maintained our strengths. So we should not stop here, we have to continue sustaining our competitiveness," she added.