Bohol, Oriental Negros top ‘Gawad Galing Pook’

The provinces of Bohol and Oriental Negros shared the limelight in this year’s 12th Gawad Galing Pook, an annual search for the country’s most outstanding and innovative local government programs.

The two local government units in the Visayas received the most-coveted Awards for Continuing Excellence (ACE) for sustaining a "culture of governance and excellence" through programs that have consistently won recognition in the past years.

The awards were handed out Wednesday night at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacañang.

Of the 18 finalists, the following, in alphabetical order, were chosen as "Top Ten Outstanding Programs" and received a cash prize of P100,000 each and plaques of recognition:

• Bulacan province for its Joint Systems Improvement in Education Project;

• Municipality of Capoocan, Leyte for its program on gender and development (also received a special citation on Gender-Responsive Local Governance);

• Municipality of Concepcion, Iloilo for a program on harnessing synergy in integrated population, health and environment programming (also received a special citation on Population, Health and Development Local Initiatives);

• Municipality of Dauin, Oriental Negros for its coastal resource management program;

• Municipality of Maitum, Sarangani for a program on promoting child rights (also received a special citation on Child Rights-Responsive Local Governance);

• Marikina City for its program transforming it into a "bicycle-friendly city";

• Misamis Occidental for its aquamarine development and protection program;

• Oriental Negros for its Gulayan at Palaisdaan Alay sa Kabataan;

• Quezon City for its Molave Youth Home Program; and

• Tuguegarao City, Cagayan for its agricultural and fishery modernization program.

The eight LGU finalists cited as "Other Trailblazing Programs" and were also handed plaques of recognition were the following:

• Municipality of Bani, Pangasinan for its coastal resource management program;

• Bohol for its program on poverty reduction, peace and development (also received a special citation on Local Peace Building Initiatives);

• Barangay Calag-itan, Hinunangan, Southern Leyte for its marine sanctuary and seaweeds production livelihood project;

• Municipality of Goa, Camarines Sur for its ID system (also received a special citation on Productivity and Quality Responsive Local Governance);

• Municipality of Kabacan, North Cotabato for Tungo sa Ugnayang Layon ay Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran (also received a special citation on Local Peace Building Initiatives);

• Ligao City, Albay for its upland central economic zone program;

• Municipality of Los Baños, Laguna for its ecological solid waste management program;

• Municipality of Magsaysay, Davao del Sur for its diversified organic farming system;

• Municipality of Naawan, Misamis Oriental for improving local government income through the Municipal Economic Enterprise and Development Office; and

• Zamboanga City for its effective partnership toward an AIDS-free Zamboanga City.