TARLAC CITY, Tarlac — The province of Tarlac has secured a spot among the Top 5 finalists in the 2026 Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit (LGU) Awards, Provincial Level, conferred by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
Tarlac made the cut from 82 competing provinces, joining Camarines Sur, Cavite, Davao del Norte, and Iloilo. The province now vies for the top honor.
The final judging was held on September 23, 2026, at the PCCI office in Taguig City, where Governor Christian Tell Yap presented the province’s case before the selection committee.
“We are very grateful and honored to be shortlisted and considered to be in the top 5 most business-friendly provinces in the whole Philippines,” Yap said. “In the past years, we’ve been consistently shortlisted through the previous administrations. Now, it is my first term as governor, and yet our direction for the province still stays the same.”
The PCCI awards are based on economic growth, efficiency, and governance, with criteria covering sustainable local economic development, ease of doing business, investment promotion, sectoral competitiveness, and digital transformation.
Yap attributed the recognition to the collective effort of the provincial government, the business sector, and the Tarlac community.
“Para sa akin, hindi lang po ito isang pagkilala sa Pamahalaang Panlalawigan, kundi sa sama-samang pagsisikap ng ating mga kawani, mga negosyante, at buong Tarlac community,” he said.
The governor said the province’s development framework remains anchored on human development under the tagline “Tao Muna,” with five pillars: job generation (Trabaho Muna), food security (Pagkain Muna), healthcare (Kalusugan Muna), education, and environmental protection (Kalikasan).
He also highlighted the province’s push for digitization and data-based decision-making, including training personnel to create dashboards for various departments, mapping accessible data for public and private sectors, and developing new workforce management systems. Digital accounting systems are also set to be launched to improve spending efficiency and governance.
“Marami pa tayong kailangang gawin at pagbutihin, pero patuloy tayong kikilos upang mas maging business-friendly ang ating lalawigan at makalikha ng mas maraming oportunidad para sa bawat Tarlaqueño,” Yap added.
Joining the governor in receiving the citation were Provincial Executive Assistants Atty. Malou Navarro and Graciaella Marie Leandicho, Provincial Cooperative Enterprise and Development Officer Marvi dela Cruz, Local Economic Development and Investment Promotions Officer Frances Margaret Canlas, Public Employment Service Officer Maria Lira Reyes, and PCCI-Tarlac President Aileen Chan.
The final winners will be officially announced and recognized during the 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo (PBC&E) on October 13–14, 2026, at the Manila Hotel.
