THE ASIAN Institute of Management (AIM) recognized the Davao City as having the best quality of life among urban centers in the country.

Roberto P. Alabado III, officer in charge of Davao City Planning and Development Office, during the regular session yesterday said the AIM citation showed that the city is doing everything in improving the health education of the people and preserving the environment.

“The city got four out of eight awards given by the institute so we are on equal-footing with Cebu,” Alabado said, pointing out that the two cities were competing with each other in getting the awards.

The other awards that the city got, Alabado added, were the special award on documentation as the government provided a “very good” documentation system, another special award on the compliance to government plans and programs and an award for being the friendliest city to micro-small and medium enterprises.

In 2001 and 2005, the institute also cited the city as the most competitive metropolitan city in the country.

Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said the award properly belongs to the people of Davao as it would not be achieved without the cooperation and support of the constituents.

Early this year, another national survey conducted by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Business Process Association of the Philippines recognized Davao City as the top “next wave city” in the country  primarily because of its deep pool of human resources.

City Administrator Zuleika Lopez said Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has suggested that all the awards be placed in Museo Dabawenyo. She said it would be like a “shrine of awards” given to the city.