La Union Named Most Competitive Province in Region I, Ranks 7th Nationwide in 2024 Competitiveness Index

La Union has once again proven itself as a leader in progress in Northern Luzon, having been named the Most Competitive Province in Region I and ranking 7th nationwide in the recent Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI) awards by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Region I on November 5-6, 2024, at Candon City, Ilocos Sur.

The recognition was awarded during the "Rimat ti Amianan" ceremony, which honored top-performing local government units for fostering economic growth, resilience, and innovation across Northern Luzon.

This year, La Union excelled in four key pillars of competitiveness—economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency—demonstrating its commitment to sustainable development and inclusive progress.

The award made La Union retain its spot as 7th most competitive province in the entire country for two consecutive years, making it the only province in the Ilocos Region that qualified in the Top 10.

Gov. Raphaelle Veronica “Rafy” Ortega-David, along with Board Member Henry Balbin, Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Commerce, and Industry, personally received the awards. Gov. Rafy expressed her pride in the province’s achievement, attributing it to the La Union PROBINSYAnihan spirit of collaboration among local government units, businesses, and communities. She dedicated the award to the people of La Union, highlighting that the province’s continued progress is a testament to the hard work and unity of its citizens. “This recognition shows that La Union is not only on the path to economic growth but is leading by example in Northern Luzon,” she stated.

“As we aim to be the Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon, we continue to establish a vibrant and sustainable economy in La Union as there are a lot of opportunities and potentials in business, investment and employment here in our province,” the Governor added.

Several Local Government Units (LGUs) in La Union also received individual awards, underscoring the province's strength across key areas. The City of San Fernando was recognized with 1st place regionwide for Most Competitive City in the Infrastructure and Resiliency Pillars, 2nd place in the Innovation Pillar, and 1st place in the Government Efficiency Pillar. The Municipality of Agoo earned 1st place regionwide as the Overall Most Competitive Municipality (1st-2nd Class Municipalities), 3rd place in Economic Dynamism, and 1st place in Infrastructure. The Municipality of Bauang placed 1st in Economic Dynamism (1st-2nd Class Municipalities), while Bacnotan received 3rd place for Overall Most Competitive Municipality, 2nd place in Government Efficiency, and 3rd place in Innovation. Pugo secured 1st place in Economic Dynamism (5th-6th Class Municipalities), 2nd place in Infrastructure, and 3rd place in Resiliency. Rosario and Santo Tomas also earned recognition, with Rosario placing 2nd in Resiliency (1st-2nd Class Municipalities) and Sto. Tomas 2nd in Resiliency (3rd-4th Class Municipalities).

Local Economic Enterprise and Investment Promotions Unit Assistant Department Head Angela Grace Peralta said that the performances of the component LGUs were instrumental for the award. “The CMCI measures the competitiveness of all LGUs in the Philippines. It is truly reflective of the performance at the grassroots. The screening and validation of the submitted modes of verification is rigorous & very detailed,” Peralta said.

This is now the highest ranking of La Union since CMCI started in 2015.

The CMCI is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees that evaluate the competitiveness of cities and municipalities.

With these recognitions, the provincial government will continue to work closely with LGUs, businesses, and residents to foster an inclusive and competitive environment, ensuring a brighter future for all.