The Local Government of San Simon added another milestone of excellence in public service after they came home victorious from the 7th Regional Competitiveness Summit -Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index Awards held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on October 24, 2019.

San Simon ranked first in government efficiency which "refers to quality and reliability of government services and government support for sustainable productive expansion." The town emerged champion after complying with the following criteria: transparency, economic governance, local taxes and revenues, local competition-related awards, business registration efficiency, investment promotion, compliance to national directives, security, health, and education.

Among third to sixth class municipalities, San Simon clinched the top spot, followed by Taal Batangas and Mambajao Camiguin. Mayor Abundio S. Punsalan Jr., the town's local chief executive, shared that the local government will strive more to sustain the service delivery through electronic and efficient governance.

The Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index is an annual ranking of Philippine cities and municipalities developed by the National Competitiveness Council through the Regional Competitiveness Committees (RCCs) with the assistance of the United States Agency for International Development. The said competition consists of four pillars: economic, dynamism, government efficiency, infrastructure, and resiliency.