The study examined the benefits of locating the regional government centers to the host local government using the case of the 11 MIMAROPA regional line agencies located in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. The study theorized that the presence, efficiency, and responsiveness of the regional offices can be related to the number of business establishments, population, and LGU income.
Correlation analysis was applied to determine the relationships between the availability of the regional offices in Calapan City and the indicators of urban development, such as the number of population and number of business establishments. The presence or absence of regional offices in the barangays and adjacent barangays were correlated with the number of business establishments, population density, and population number. Moreover, non-quantitative and descriptive analyses of data were used to explain the responsiveness and efficiency of regional offices located in Calapan City. Results from a survey of employees from the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro and City Government of Calapan provided the data for the study.
The results of the study revealed that locating the regional offices provided benefits and opportunities for urban growth and local economic development. The regional offices have the potential to direct institutional purchasing towards local businesses, offer employment opportunities, and stimulate growth of related business and institutions, among others. Moreover, the location of the regional offices provided more options to the constituency by making a particular kind or level of service available and efficiently distributed in the community.
The positive correlation results between the number of business establishments and the presence of regional offices in the barangays and its adjacent barangays indicated that both variables have a tendency to increase or decrease together.