NAGA, along with Legazpi City, has been chosen one of the “Most Competitive Small Cities in the Philippines” by the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in its Philippine Cities Competitiveness Ranking Project 2005.

A double victory for Bicol which ironically has been rated as the second most depressed region in the county, Naga City Mayor Jesse M. Robredo and Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal received their respective awards during rites held last Feb. 13 in Makati City.

In an interview with local mediamen upon his return from Manila the following day for the Valentine celebration, Robredo said Naga was “honored for our economic dynamism, participatory governance, accountability and effective initiatives on information communication technology that taken together contributed immeasurably to the progressive transformation of Naga as a competitive, investment-friendly city.”

The citation, etched in a glass trophy, was signed by AIM President and former Finance Secretary Roberto F. de Ocampo and AIM Executive Director Dr. Federico M. Macaranas.

It reads in part: “The city (Naga) has provided an environment that nurtures the progress and dynamism of its local enterprises and industries. It also has obtained one of the highest overall competitiveness ratings among the Small Cities based on cost of doing business, infrastructure, human resource, linkages and accessibility, quality of life, local governance, and dynamism of local economy.”

The competitiveness ranking covered 65 cities nationwide comprised of 13 metro cities, 15 mid-sized cities, and 37 small cities.

Business owners of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) were the primary respondents for the survey, which formed one of the bases for the competitiveness ranking. Thereafter, industry associations, local chamber officials and businessmen were convened to discuss issues relevant to the city’s overall performance. The cities competitiveness ranking project is aimed at looking at the ability of leading and emerging Philippine cities to nurture healthy businesses and communities. The project is supported by the USAID, the Asia Foundation, and gtz, a German non-government organization.

“An examination of the cities’ strengths and weaknesses is an imperative task in coming up with better recommendation for the cities’ development,” an AIM statement stressed.