A UNIVERSITY of the Philippines Diliman research on economic dynamism index of cities and municipalities earned the top prize in the professional category of the 4th Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index Academic Symposium.

The study was authored by UPD-School of Urban Regional Planning Dean Dina Magnaye, assistant professor at SURP Dr. Ronnie Encarnacion and university research associate at SURP Annlouise Genevieve Castro.

Their research titled “Spatial Analysis of Local Competitiveness: Relationship of Economic Dynamism of Cities and Municipalities in Regional Metropolitan Areas” revealed that spatial correlation exists in the economic dynamism indices of neighboring cities within a metropolitan area.

“The research analyzed the ‘economic dynamism index’ data from the Department of Trade and Industry CMCI of the metropolitan areas of Manila, Cebu, and Davao and their adjoining cities and municipalities with metropolitan-like setup to establish their competitive relationships, interconnectedness, and hierarchy,” UP Diliman said.

The CMCI Academic Symposium is an annual research conference that utilizes the CMCI data to provide useful information, conclusions and policy recommendations for decision-makers through data analysis.

It also encourages researchers to conduct studies on local competitiveness through four pillars — economic dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure and resiliency.

The academic symposium was organized by the DTI Competitive Bureau.