LGUs vie for Gawad Galing Pook Award

The Quezon City government is one of the 18 finalists of the prestigious Gawad Galing Pook Award for 2003 to be given out by President Arroyo tomorrow.

Reports from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) revealed that Quezon City is one of the finalists in the Effective Fiscal Management category for this year. Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. will lead city officials during the awarding ceremonies at Malacañang.

The Gawad Galing Pook is sponsored by the Ford Foundation and other international agencies. The search is being undertaken by the Gawad Pook Council, the Local Government Academy and the Asian Institute of Management.

Divina Pamintuan, Gawad Galing Pook project officer said that out of the total of 135 local government units that participated, 18 have chosen as finalists for this year.

"The 10 LGUs will receive the Galing Pook Award while the rest will be given trailblazer awards," Pamintuan said. A plaque and cash reward of P100,000 awaits winners of the award.

She refused to provide additional details but said other finalists included Alicia town in Isabela; Angono, Rizal; Batanes, Bohol; Bulacan; Cebu City; Dumingag, Zamboanga de Sur; Gonzaga, Cagayan; Iligan City; Muntinlupa City; Negros Occidental; Negros Oriental; Bayawan City in Nueva Vizcaya; Pasay City; and Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

Apart from program-based local governance awards, system-based special citations will also conferred to outstanding LGUs for exemplary systems in the areas of child rights, gender responsiveness and urban governance.

The President will give awards to the 10 outstanding programs as well as trailblazing programs and awards for continuing excellence.