PHL implements measures to lift rankings in 4 global reports — NCC

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MANILA — The Philippines is implementing measures to lift its rankings in four global indices where it lags, National Competitiveness Council (NCC) Co-Chair for Private Sector Guillermo M. Luz told reporters.

Luz mentioned that in 12 global reports, the country leapfrogged its rankings in eight reports while rankings fell in four other global indices.

These four global reports where the ranking slide include Global Innovation Index of World Intellectual Property Organization, Logistics Performance Index of the World Bank, Fragile State Index of The Fund for Peace, and Global Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum.

For the Innovation Index, Luz said the country’s ranking slipped by 10 notches from rank 90 in 2013 to rank 100 in 2014.

“This should improve with the collaboration of the academe and industries,” said Luz noting that this will push for further research and development to improve local technologies.

“Research and development is the key to convert research into products,” he added.

He expects that for the next report the country will regain the 10 points it loss, or more, in the Innovation Index.

For the Logistics Index, the country’s ranking dropped by five spots from rank 52 to 57.

“This is not only about port congestion but the cost and efficiency of logistics,” the NCC executive said.

“We see improvement in the coming years with the infrastructure projects, National Single Window, ASEAN National Window, and amendments on the Cabotage Law,” Luz added.

Luz, on the other note, explained that the Fragile State Index is the “hardest to analyze” report as it measure all aspects of a state from socioeconomic development, poverty, development measures of the government, among others.

He said the country’s improvement in other reports will also translate to the improvement in the Fragile State Index.

The Philippines’ ranking for this report declined by four places.

On the Global Gender Gap, Luz mentioned that the Philippines remains one of the top countries with well-integrated gender participation in the society.

It only declined by four notches from being in the top five to rank nine in the latest report as other countries implement improvements in gender-related measures.

“The Philippines is their model for gender equality,” he said.