Cebu City among top Asian cities of the future

By Cebu Network
Published January 11th, 2008

Cebu City ranked eighth in an Asia-wide survey for the Asian Cities of the Future by the Finance Direct Investment (fDi) magazine of the Financial Times Group.

Cebu City also placed 2nd in development and promotion, next to Singapore; 4th in the list of 10 most cost-effective cities, and 7th in the best quality of life category.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña, according to this Sun.Star Cebu report, welcomed the survey result but said the whole Philippines should improve so that other cities can fare better in the ranking. He said that if other areas of the country are left out in development, Cebu will be burdened by the influx of people.

Osmeña said Cebu “cannot be number one if the whole Philippines doesn’t improve.”

The survey on “Asian Cities of the Future,” according to the Sun.Star Cebu report, was conducted by Foreign Direct Investment magazine published by the Financial Times (FT) group in the United Kingdom.

The report said 60 criteria—from cost effectiveness to human resources and infrastructure—were used by the magazine in evaluating more than 200 big and small cities all over Asia. The judges of the survey include independent location consultants, corporate professionals and other inward investment experts.

Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC) Managing Director Joel Mari Yu told Sun.Star Cebu that the city’s ranking is a recognition of what the private sector and the government have done to improve the city.

Yu, however, said the city would have fared better if basic infrastructure such as roads, water and power supply were improved.

“Infrastructure is our weakest point. It should be the focus of our programs in improving business environment. Water and power supply should be the main focus and it should be privatized to ensure stability of supply. The roads should be improved to address congestion in the streets,” Yu said.

3 Responses to “Cebu City among top Asian cities of the future”

1. Reynaldo Cruz, Jr. says:
   1January 20th, 2008 at 10:57 am

   You should have mentioned also in your article the cities of Davao and Quezon who made it to the top ten list of Asia’s Cities of the future. You focused so much on your beloved city as if the whole economy is centered there. Would appreciate if you had not shown tones self-centeredness. Despite these, glad that Cebu made it to the top. More power!!!!

2. Cebu Network says:
   2January 21st, 2008 at 5:08 pm

   Reynaldo,
   Hi. Thanks for the feedback.

   You said: “You focused so much on your beloved city as if the whole economy is centered there. Would appreciate if you had not shown tones self-centeredness.”

   Yes we focused on Cebu because this website is about Cebu. The name itself, Cebu Living, will tell you that everything here is centered on Cebu. Thanks for dropping by.

3. Lyn Smith says:
   3May 17th, 2008 at 5:46 pm

   Okay I am with you focusing and improving Cebu. It is true there has been a good positive changes all over Cebu and the streets are more clean and organized just need more road work especially going North, roads are still so wavey and holes. Our visitors that basically who rated their enters to our land made comments and that our roads really need a special attention. Anything to improve Cebu rational ideas are good just don’t forget our own people who were supposed to be benefit these improvement. Just have little heart thats all I’m asking. As The World Turns!!!!!

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