MANILA, Philippines – Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte and the QC Council yesterday received an award for their exemplary performance, innovations and excellence in the legislative process, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced.
Belmonte and the city council bagged the Local Legislative Award in the national level for a highly urbanized city.
The ceremony was held at the Iloilo Convention Center in Iloilo City.
Other awardees include Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental for component city, and Oton and Mina, both in Iloilo, for first to third and fourth to sixth class municipality categories, respectively.
Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento commended the winners for their relentless efforts in nation-building.
In 2006, the Philippine Councilors’ League and DILG launched the Local Legislative Award to recognize the exemplary performance of the city and municipal councils in legislating measures that help build the foundation of local administration and development
The award is conferred on a Sangguniang Panglunsod or Sangguniang Bayan that has passed ordinances or resolutions that brought socio-economic and environmental development to the local government unit.
“The award was meant to inspire other local legislatures to perform better and institutionalize a system of recognition to Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sangguniang Bayan for exemplary performance,” the DILG said.
The criteria for the award require the legislative agenda to complement the executive agenda as well as prior consultation with stakeholders in the development agenda.