BY: CHARLES NIKKO LIMON

Agriculture has long been the main source of livelihood in Tublay.

Over time, however, the town has shown signs of growth.

Tublay Mayor Armando Lauro considers their reclassification from a 5th-class to a 4th-class municipality as an early Christmas gift.

This means the town’s annual revenue has increased from 90 million to 130 million pesos.

This is based on the Department of Finance’s calculations and the implementation of Republic Act 11964, or the Automatic Income Classification of Local Government Units Act.

Tublay is one of the towns in the Cordillera that performed well in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index (CMCI).

The CMCI measures a town or city’s development based on the growth of various sectors.

According to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), this signifies further economic advancement for the region.

Aside from providing additional opportunities for residents, this growth is also expected to boost local economies further.

However, digitalization remains a significant challenge.

The region lacks enough skilled workers for digitalization-related industries, including cashiering, accounting, and business process outsourcing.

Industries are also focusing more on improving their processes to better contribute to the country’s economy.

DTI advises towns to focus more on digitalization projects and food security, especially since global markets are already affected by various wars and political issues.