“Sa Turismo Aangat Ang Angono” is Angono’s attempt at total development using its tourism advantage as a vehicle.
It started as a dream.
Mayor Gerry Calderon had witnessed for himself the good practices of various places like Puerto Princesa, Marikina and Olongapo and adapted useful strategies from these award-winning local governments.
The dream of being included in the roster of Galing Pook Awardees prompted Mayor Calderon to package all his programs and actions into one effective transitional scheme, how these developmental projects improved the lives of the people, and brought the town Angono in the mainstream of local government innovation.
Trailblazing Culture and Tourism
The municipality of Angono in Rizal Province is home to two National Artists: painter Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco and musician Lucio San Pedro. But save for this reputation, it had little else.
The municipal government did not have a clear goal, traffic congestion was bad, there was no transport terminal, flash flooding was not uncommon, the surroundings were dirty, and worse of all, the people seem like they couldn’t care less.
Yet a dramatic transformation took place between 1999 and 2002. Angono was consistently bagging awards for being the cleanest and greenest in the province. In 2001, it was finally elevated to a first class municipality.
Angono’s road to development started with the basics. With the help of the people’s organizations, Angono drafted a mission-vision statement that became its roadmap to development. A massive information campaign was launched to awaken community spirit and introduce the “Angono Dream”.
After it identified tourism promotion as its centerpiece program, Angono embarked on a physical makeover. Road obstructions were removed to decongest traffic, the public transport system was organized, the public market was renovated, and volunteers enlisted to keep the main roads clean.
Volunteerism played a key role to the program success. Aside from assisting in the government’s clean-up activities, volunteers also helped in traffic management, tax campaigns, and security surveillance.
The town’s physical rehabilitation did a lot to improve the way of life of the residents of Angono. There are now parks where people can stroll around and where artworks are proudly displayed. A Regional Pilot School for the Arts was established to boost Angono’s status as an artist’s haven. Social services as well as the peace and order situation were likewise addressed.