Bohol Competiveness Council
to help LGUs rise above rivals

TAGBILARAN CITY, March 13 (PIA)--Right on track into making sure local government units here raise their competitiveness indices, local leaders and business counselors witnessed the swearing into office a team that would facilitate the positioning of Bohol towns into the countries top cities and municipalities based on their competitive index.

An innovation in itself, the Bohol Competitiveness Council is an inter-agency team of government and non government agencies and organizations who would be at the disposal of Bohol LGUs so they could keep up with the competitiveness standards.

The local council, possibly a first in the country, according to investment promotions chief Maria Fe Dominese, is an interagency team who will assist local government units in complying and elevating its compliance to the competitiveness standards to come out with more efficient governance.

By competitiveness, it is the ability of an LGU to rise above its rivals and achieve sustainable levels of success in its specific categories, based on established parameters, explains Trade and Industry Development Specialist of the local department of Trade and Industry Jude Guieb.

Guieb presented anew the National Competitiveness Council (NCC) Survey and its 2017 Results for DTI 7 Regional Director Asteria Caberte, to at least 14 Bohol local chief executives and technical staff taking care of their compliance to the NCC indices of all towns in Bohol, March 13 at the Jjs Seafoods Village.

As a town's competitiveness is now seen compared with how other local government units fare, one can easily see in figures measures of the LGU's level and growth in the areas of standard of living, aggregate productivity and their ability to increase employment, trade and investments.

The competitiveness measure also determines how an LGU uses its resources to improve its standards of living, its schools, roads, financial markets, the consumer and in the end, offer better lives and prosperity to its constituents, DTI explained.

In the 2017 survey, Bohol rose from 54 in 2015, to 36 in 2016 and 23 in 2017. Tagbilaran City on the other hand completed a positive slate of 34, 25 and 21 in the last 3 years.

Governor Chatto emphasized the use of the competitiveness results as a guide for local leaders, as he urged local governments to look at their performances and work on weaknesses and bolster their strengths.

The governor also shared that it is Bohol's aim of getting more towns into the list of the country's most competitive.

The competitiveness parameters include economic dynamism or its activities that an environment conducive to business and employment, efficiency in government as measured in compliance to national directives, investment promotions, efficient business registration, local resource generation, health, school services, recognitions of performances, compliance to business permits and licensing system standards, peace and order and social protection.

Also in the parameters are infrastructure support which includes roads, ports, basic utilities, public transport vehicles, education infrastructure, LGU infra investments, accommodation capacity, information technology capacity and financial technology capacity.

Finally, a town's competitiveness is also measured on its resiliency to disasters and challenges.

Its indicators include a workable land use plan, Disaster Risk Reduction Plan, Annual Disaster Drill, Early Warning System, Resiliency Financing as in putting up budgets for disaster and risk reduction, Local Risk Assessments, Emergency Infrastructure, Utilities, Employed Population and a sanitary system.

And for LGUs to be in the top list, newly instituted Bohol Competitiveness Council can assist and mentor LGUs in their compliance.

The new council includes the Department of Interior and Local Government, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, Department of Trade and Industry, Bohol Information and Communications Technology Unit, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Vice Mayor's League of the Philippines, Philippine Councilors League, Provincial Engineer's, Health, Disaster and Risk Reduction Management, Planning and Development.

The Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Social security System, Home Development Mutual Fund, PhilHealth, Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alliance of on Government organizations, Public Works and Highways, Information and Communication Technology, Higher Education and the Holy Name University Research Center.(rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)