by Alfonso T. Ruda
DIPOLOG CITY, FEB. 2(PIA)---Zamboanga de Norte has been adjudged as one of the ten Galing Pook Awardees for the year 2011.
The award was personally handed by President Benigno Aquino III to Governor Rolando E. Yebes in a ceremony held at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang, last January 30, 2012.
Yebes said during his nine-year term as Governor of the province he has given equal opportunity to the Subanens and the Lumads to be involve in all government initiatives.
Zamboanga del Norte’s (Empowering the Subanen) award was in recognition of the various programs implemented by the Provincial Government through the Provincial Indigenous People’s Coordinating Unit (PIPCU) to address the needs of the Subanen and the Lumads in the province, which in the past were only given little attention by the previous administrations.
Yebes said during his nine-year term as Governor of the province he has given equal opportunity to the Subanens and the Lumads to be involve in all government initiatives.
Zamboanga del Norte and 9 other awardees were chosen from among the 137 entries submitted this year- 55 coming from Luzon, 33 from Visayas and 49 from Mindanao.
Last year, Zamboanga del Norte was also a Gawad Galing Pook awardee because of the successful implementation of the High-Green Program in the province.
Initiated on October 21, 1993, the Galing Pook awards is a pioneering program that recognizes innovations and excellence in local governance.
The awardees are chosen from a national search of local governance programs, evaluated through a rigorous multilevel screening process based on positive results and impact, promotion of people’s participation and empowerment, innovation, transferability and sustainability, and efficiency of program service delivery.
Beyond the awards, winning programs become models of good governance promoted for adoption in other communities. They provide useful insights and strategies to find innovative solutions to common problems. More importantly, they affirm the community and the local government’s commitment to good governance.
Since its inception, at least 230 programs of 152 local governments were awarded the Galing Pook. These awardees become very important advocates in stimulating and inspiring other local governments to introduce innovative practices and provide a fertile environment for the replication of successful reforms.
In his speech before fellow public servants, guests and awardees, President Aquino said that through good governance as a result of constant cooperation from the national government and local governments with the unwavering support from the people, the country will undoubtedly attain sustainable progress and development.
Other 2011 Galing Pook awardees are Sarangani Province (Justice on Wheels), Misamis Oriental (Turning red to green), Upi, Maguindanao (rural community e-Center, Limasawa, Southern Leyte (poor municipality can eliminate malnutrition), Alimodian, Iloilo (bringing high schools closer to home), Bohol Province (rabies prevention and elimination), Maribojoc, Bohol (LGU-led cadastral survey), Albay Province (health strategy for MDG attainment) and Real, General Nakar, Infanta and Panukulan in Quezon Province (community-based mental health management).(ATR/PIA9-Zambo Norte)