BACOLOD WINS RESPONSIVENESS OF AN LGU AWARD

BACOLOD WINS RESPONSIVENESS OF AN LGU AWARD
By Edith B. Colmo

Another national recognition was bestowed upon Bacolod City, the third of many blessings this week to the city administration.

First was the city having been chosen as pilot city for a European Union Project, followed by the election of Mayor Evelio Leonardia as executive vice president of the League of Cities of the Philippines.

The latest was the Best Compliance Award from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), growth center category, as Best Compliance with Government Mandated Plans on responsiveness by local government units, in line with the 2009 Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project.

AIM gave the award in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and German Technical Cooperation (GTC).

The awarding ceremony was held at the SMX Convention Center, Manila, Monday. Mayor Evelio Leonardia and City Administrator Rogelio Balo received the award. The city was recognized for its outstanding performance in the competitiveness ranking project as among the growth centers in the country.

Leonardia said, Bacolod having been categorized as a new growth center is another validation that indeed, Bacolod is growing fast and surging ahead.

Bacolod is among other cities in the country categorized as new growth centers in the country - Baguio, Olongapo, Batangas, Iloilo, Mandaue, Lapu-lapu, Zamboanga, Cagayan de Oro and General Santos.

The evaluation of the 29 selected cities established three new categories namely, emergent cities, growth centers and metropolitan growth centers. In the new classification, assessment was based on a scientifically supportable distinction of the characteristics of a city.

Factor taken into account is the ability of the city to generate local income against its population.

In the presentation of the new categories of cities, it was concluded that Growth Centers including Bacolod City has higher per capita income than emergent cities and metro growth centers.

Metropolitan centers included the cities of Cebu and Davao while emergent cities are Dagupan, San Fernando, Santiago, Tuguegarao, Angeles, Lucena, Puerto Princesa, Naga, Legaspi, Tacloban, Or-moc, Pagadian, Iligan, Tagum, Cotabato, Butuan and Suri-gao.

The awards were presented by Dr. Edilberto de Jesus, AIM president; Prof. Ma. Lourdes Sereno AIM Policy Center executive director; Dr. Volker Steigerward, GTZ program manager; and Dr. Ana Maria Tabunda, 2009 PCCRP consultant and chief research Fellow Pulse Asia, Inc.

Guest speaker at the awarding ceremony was Undersec-retary Austere Panadero of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

In 2005, AIM has also recognized Bacolod as Most Competitive Mid-size City in the country.

Since the start of Leonardia administration in 2004, Bacolod has been recipient of numerous local and national recognitions from the national government and private institutions.

Other national awards of the city include, Business Friendly City, Best Place to Live in the Country by Money Sense Magazine;

Best Tourism Oriented LGU, and Best Performing City in Economic Development, Most Child Friendly City, Most Disabled Friendly City, finalist in the Best City Peace and Order Council, and Best City Disaster Risk Management among many others.

Early this month, Bacolod was rose to the top three spots as Top 10 Next Wave Cities for Best BPO Locations in the Country.* EBC