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| Philippine president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (seated at center) with representatives of Galing Pook Awards 2022 awardees (standing behind). With them (seated from left) are Galing Pook Chairperson Mel Sarmiento, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos and Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri. (Image Source: The Manila Times/Presidential Communications Operations Office) |
Ten outstanding local governance programs were recognized in the 2022 Galing Pook Awards held at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacanang Palace last November 22, 2022. Galing Pook Foundation with its co-presenters SM Prime Holdings Inc., and the DILG-Local Government Academy and sponsors Cebu Pacific and Airspeed named local government units (LGUs) from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao that promote innovation and excellence.
Philippine President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. commended the Galing Pook Foundation for recognizing and incentivizing top performing LGUs. He stressed how strong collaboration between the public and private sector can lead to more meaningful and successful programs that truly benefit the Filipino people. “The recognition that you give to cities and municipalities inspires them to accelerate their drive towards improvement and it encourages LGUs to adopt practices that make us paragons of excellence in public service. It is necessary for us to underscore the importance of strengthening partnerships between the government and private organizations, such as the Galing Pook Foundation, especially as we bring about meaningful progress in the country," Marcos stated.
Galing Pook Chairperson Mel Sarmiento expressed his gratitude to all the local executives and LGU teams that participated this year. Sarmiento said, “It’s truly inspiring to see the impact of the work that you do, and I’m sure you’ve brought value to many Filipinos all over the country. Our collaborations bring us closer to realizing our shared vision na ang bawat pamilyang Pilipino, may simple pero kumportableng buhay.” The winners of the 2022 Galing Pook Awards were: The Green Wall of Alcala (Alcala, Cagayan); Advancing and Sustaining Good Governance and Community Actions towards Resiliency and Empowerment (Basilan Province); Bataan Public-Private Partnership Programs (Bataan Province); Balik-Biñan Project: Tourism Development through Heritage Conservation (Biñan City, Laguna); From Black to Green: Fishponds, Eco-Tourism and Full Employment (Brgy. Cayabu, Tanay, Rizal); Trekking to Unlock Community Ailments and Difficulties (TUCAD) (Goa, Camarines Sur); “I-BIKE” A Program Promoting the Development of the Iloilo City Bike Culture (Iloilo City); Yaru: A Whole-of-Community Approach Towards Disaster Management (Itbayat, Batanes); Libertad Fish Forever Savings Club (Libertad, Antique); and Basta Piddigueño, AgriHenyo: Consolidated Farm Production System (Piddig, Ilocos Norte).
The 10 winners were chosen from 18 finalists and a record field of 196 applications from different LGUs in the country. Launched on October 21, 1993, the Galing Pook Awards has recognized 329 LGU programs from 200 LGUs in the country that have been promoted for replication to benefit more communities.
