Ulat nina Elida Bianca Marcial at Richard R. Gappi

Novotel Manila, Cubao, Quezon City — Katatanggap lang ni Angono, Rizal Mayor Gerry Calderon ngayong als-10:00 ng gabi, Huwebes, October 12, 2017 ng tropeo ng pagkilala na iginawad sa Angono ng Galing Pook Foundation dahil sa matagumpay na economic program ng bayan, Zero Basura at Zero Squatter Program.

Sa pagkapanalong ito, may premyo ang Angono ng P100,000 at lalagyan ang bayan ng Galing Pook marker.

Ginanap ngayong gabi ang programa at paggagawad ng parangal dito sa Novotel Manila sa Cubao, Quezon City.

Sampu ang piniling national winners ng nasabing foundation mula sa buong bansa at ang Angono ang pinakahuling ginawaran at tinawag kaya lubhang makapigil-hininga ang tagpo.

Ito na ang pangalawang Galing Pook Award ng Angono. Ang una ay noong 2003 sa entry o programa na “Sa Turismo, Aangat ang Angono.”

Bukod sa Angono, ang siyam pang lugar na pinarangalan dahil sa kanilang husay ay ang San Luis, Aurora; Cagayan de Oro City; San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte; Palompon, Leyte; Davao del Norte; San Felipe, Zambales; Valenzuela City; General Santos City; at Pasig City.

Ang 2017 Galing Pook Award ay nagbibigay ng pagkilala sa mga local government unit na may kakaiba, natatangi at inobatibong programa at proyekto.

Ngayong 2017, may 158 entry mula sa buong bansa ang nagsumite sa nasabing foundation.

Isa sa Top 10 o national winners ang bayan ng Angono dahil sa successful at sustainable economic program nito, partikular ang matagumpay na pamamalakad sa Angono public market, Zero Squatter Program at Zero Basura.

Si Sen. Sonny Angara ang panauhin sa nasabing awarding ceremony.

Sa kanyang mensahe, binati ng senador ang 20 finalists kabilang ang Angono na aniya’y patunay sa “pagiging huwaran sa bansa dahil sa tamang prayoridad at sistema ng pamamalakad.”

“Kayo pong lahat ay exemplary dahil kayo ang napili sa 14,000 barangays sa buong bansa o sa 1,300 municipalities at 80 provinces sa bansa,” wika ni Senator Angara.

Iniulat din ng senador na nirereview ngayon ng Senado ang 1991 Local Government Code upang higit na palakasin ang mga LGUs.

“Malaki ang hindi nagagastos ng national government kaya iminumungkahi namin na ibalik sa mga LGUs ang pamamahala sa pera, procurement, halimbawa sa DepEd sa pagpapagawa ng schools o sa relocation ng mga informal settlers dahil ang mga LGUs ang mismong may mas alam,” paliwanag ni Senator Angara.

Si dating Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando ang chairman ng Gawad Galing Pook Foundation.

Binubuo ito ng mga akademista, businessmen, mga dating opisyal sa antas lokal at pambansa, mga taga-DILG, mga taga-Landbank, at mula sa civil society groups at non-government organizations.

Sa nasabing national event, umawit din ang HIMLAHI Chorale ng URS Angono.

Makisig ding nakatanghal sa stage at venue ang dalawang Higante ng Angono, na cultural icon ng bayan na kilalang Art Capital of the Philippines at Home of the Higantes Festival.

Related Story:

Mayor Gerry cites successful Angono public market as key to 2017 Gawad Galing Pook best practice and innovation in the country

By Elida Bianca Marcial and Richard R. Gappi

Novotel, Cubao, Quezon City — Angono, Rizal Mayor Gerry Calderon this Wednesday morning, October 11, 2017 answered confidently the queries which the judges of Galing Pook Awards 2017 asked from him as regards the entry of the municipality titled “Participatory and Systemic Governance for Socio-Economic Development.”

The panel presentation and interview was held at Monet 2 Ballroom Novotel Manila, Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City, where other finalists from different parts of the country were invited to present and impress the jurors in the final judging.

Mayor Gerry noted that what used to be a liability before, Angono’s public market has been transformed into a competitive People’s Market comparable to commercial supermarkets in the area.

“The implementation of the Amended Market Code of Angono Rizal helped turn the public market into a reliable economic enterprise of the local government,” Mayor Gerry said.

The local chief executive of Angono further explained that the low collection efficiency rate of the public market was addressed by adopting a new payment and debt restructuring scheme crafted and agreed upon by the LGU and stall owners.

As a result, this system achieved a high collection efficiency rate from P7.9 million in 2008 to P14.4 million in 2016.

“Although the public market could sustain its operations due to its improved collection rate, Sangguniang Bayan Ordinance No. 746 (2016) was enacted to sustain the operations of the public market through an annual budget allocation, if needed,” Mayor Gerry said.

In connection with Angono’s Zero Basura program, Mayor Gerry highlighted the implementation of the Solid Waste Management system in the public market through the construction of its own Materials Recovery Facilities.

“Through this initiative, the Angono Public Market was recognized as the “2nd Healthiest Public Market in the Province of Rizal” from 1999 to 2002 and the “Healthiest Public Market in the Province of Rizal” in 2003 to 2005,” Mayor Gerry said.

To address the needs of its informal settlers, meanwhile, Mayor Gerry noted, Angono introduced the Zero Squatter program that assisted 10 046 informal settler families (ISF). He cited the effective and functional Urban Settlement Development Office (USDO), created through EO 2010-11 and SB Resolution 12-125, which served as the coordinating unit between the government, private owners, and the informal settlers that made possible the timely government response to the people’s needs.

Mayor Gerry concluded that the program strengthened community-based organizations and associations of resettled individuals by allowing them to organize themselves and plan their communities.

“Appropriate representation in the local Housing Board, and the Local Committee against Squatting Syndicates and Professional Squatters were allocated to 75 organized groups. Women’s groups were also organized to improve skills as well as access to livelihood and basic services,” the mayor noted.

The judges, who came from the academe and respected institutions, include Edna Co, Elisea Gozun, Leonardo Montemayor, Edicio Dela Torre, Elmer Soriano Miguel Rene Dominguez, Emma Porio, Milwida Guevara, Victor Bulatao,

Ma. Nieves Confesor, Rafael Coscolluela, Galing Pook Chairperson National Selection Committee Marivel Sacendoncillo, Executive Director LGA Jaime Galvez Tan, Gene David of the Land Bank of the Phils, Victor Ramos and Li-Ann de Leon.

Other officials of the foundation namely Chairperson Lourdes Fernando, DILG undersecretary for government Austere Panadero, and Emellie Tamayo, vice-president of Lending Programs Management Group of Land Bank of the Philippines were also present.

Galing Pook Awards 2017 applications were screened by a 19-member National Selection Committee coming from different fields of expertise and experience.

Of the 158 applicants, 44 passed the site validation stage and 20 were chosen as finalists, from which 10 will be selected as this year’s batch of winners.

The innovative and best practice programs will be judged base on promotion of people’s participation and empowerment, 30%; positive results and impact, 30%; transferability and sustainability, 15%; innovation, 15%; and efficiency of program service delivery, 10%.

Apart from Mayor Gerry, other local officials from various towns and cities were invited as finalists.

These include Mayor Oscar Moreno of Cagayan de Oro City; Gov. Antonio Rafael del Rosario of Davao del Norte; Mayor Ronnel Rivera of General Santos City; Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. of Iloilo; Mayor Rosita Furigay of Lamitan City, Basilan;

Mayor John Bongat of Naga City; Mayor Ramon Oñate of Palompon, Leyte; Mayor Leonila Montero of Panglao, Bohol; Mayor Robert Eusebio of Pasig City; Mayor Necitas Cubrado of Pilar, Bohol;

Mayor Carolyn Senador-Fariñas of San Felipe, Zambales; Mayor Ninfa Garin of San Joaquin, Iloilo; Mayor Mariano Tangson of San Luis, Aurora; Mayor Alfredo Valdez, Jr. of San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte; Mayor Allan Rellon of Tagum City, Davao del Norte; Mayor Rex Gatchalian of Valenzuela City; and Mayor Juan Carlo Medina of Vigan City, Ilocos Sur.