Tom clarifies city hosting of Galing Pook Awards

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña clarified yesterday that he did not ask that the Galing Pook Awards, which the city is one of the awardees, will be held in Cebu City.

He explained that he only asked President Gloria Arroyo to give recognition to the 700 Lupon Tagapamayapa who made the city the recipient of the Galing Pook Award.

The mayor reacted to the statement of Dr. Encarnacion Daño, Liga nga mga Lupong Tagapamayapa president, who said that Osmeña told them that the city will work to have this year’s Gawad Galing Pook awarding ceremony on Feb. 28 held in the city.

“That’s complete distortion by Daño. She doesn’t have the right say that because I never said that. What we’re asking is for the President to give the award to the 700 Lupons who are here,” Osmeña said.

“Mrs. Daño tries to get samok, tries to get all the credits by herself. It’s not her. The 26,000 (resolved) cases were done by the 700 Lupon members, so I’m asking the president when she’s here that we’ll call all the 700 people who have settled these 26,000 cases to be so honored. Dili ang mayor ra, dili si Mrs. Daño ra,” he added.

The mayor emphasized that actually, the credit should go to councilor Edgardo Labella who saw the need for the Lupon Tagapamayapa members to resolve the cases at the barangay level. 

Cebu City once again won the “Galing Pook Award” award for its exemplary project, which is the strengthening the barangay justice system in the grassroots.

It is among the 10 winners of the award, which is given to local government units for their outstanding and trailblazing local governance programs. The awarding will be on Feb. 28 at the Malacañang Palace.

The Galing Pook Award recognizes outstanding and unique local government unit or community-initiated projects geared toward development and self-reliance, which serve as role models for other communities.

Councilor Labella, who chairs the City Council committee on laws, ordinances, public accountability and good governance, together with the Liga ng mga Lupong Tagapamayapa, initiated the training and seminars of the members of barangay lupon in the city’s barangays in implementing justice and solving conflicts in the barangay level. — Wenna A. Berondo/LPM