DILG R02 fetes high-performing LGUs

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)   paid high honors to several local government units and  their  local political leaders     who are outstanding performers in   local government administration in Region 02 in the year 2000.

In the annual LGU Recognition  Rites  held at  Roofdeck,  Delfino Hotel in Tuguegarao City on January 11, this year,  the regional office conferred the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives, Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran, Region’s Outstanding Local Legislature of the Year (ROLLY) and Region’s Outstanding Municipalities of the Year (ROMY)  Awards as a way of recognizing the LGU-awardees’  substantial  contributions in realizing the goal of decentralization.  

The Lupong Tagapamayapa   Incentives Awards (LTIA) is a national award which gives due recognition and appreciation to exemplary performance of the Lupong Tagapamayapa  in the attainment of the objectives of the Katarungang Pambarangay (KP) program. The Lupong Tagapamayapa of barangays  Smart, Gonzaga, Cagayan; Caliguian, Burgos, Isabela and Rosario, Santiago City were the recipients of this award for Category A (1^st to 3^rd Class Municipalities), Category B (4^th to 6^th Class Municipalities) and Component City Category, respectively. These barangays  were cited for settling disputes amicably beyond the halls of formal courts of justice.

The Gawad  Pangulo sa Kapaligiran (Kaunlaran ng Pamahalaang Lokal sa Kalinisan at Luntiang Kapaligiran), formerly the  Presidential Awards for the Cleanest and Greenest LGUs of the Country and Cleanest Inland Bodies of Water, aims to  help transform rural and urban areas nationwide into clean and green  community that are healthy and pleasant to live in. The recipients of this award were the municipalities of  Tuao and Claveria, both of Cagayan Province, for  Categories A and B,  the City of Santiago   and province of Nueva Vizcaya for City and Province categories. The Wangag River of Gonzaga and Cassily Lake of Tuao were adjudged the cleanest inland bodies of water.

On one hand, the ROLLY Award is a component of the entire assessment for the ROMY Award.  The ROLLY Award acknowledges the great efforts of Sangguniang Bayan members in the field of  local legislation. The Sangguniang Bayan  of  Gonzaga, Cagayan thru Vice Mayor Pablo I. Salum received the award for the second  straight  time since 1999.

The   ROMY Award, which started way back in 1993,  is a customized award    only implemented  in Region  02. The municipalities of Gonzaga led by Mayor Epifanio G. Gaspar and Claveria under the leadership of Mayor Celia T. Layus    received the award for the  1^st to 3^rd and 4^th to 6^th class municipalities categories, respectively  while  Tuguegarao led by City Mayor Randolph S. Ting was the unanimous choice for the award’s city category. These LGU-awardees were recognized for their  exemplary performance along the six major areas of concern of local governance, namely: Organization and Management, Local Financial Administration, Development Planning, Local Legislation, Community Mobilization and Delivery of Basic Services. 

Other than those awards mentioned,  the Award of Distinction and Award of Excellence were also bestowed. The municipality of Echague, Isabela thru Mayor  Virginia C. Babaran got the former award and the municipality of Aparri, Cagayan  led by Mayor Ismael V. Tumaru the latter.

The  LGU Recognition rites drew the attendance of close to 300 people, mostly officials and employees of the LGU-awardees.

On hand to confer the awards in the form of plaques, were Cagayan’s 2^nd District Representative Edgar R. Lara, who was the guest speaker, Nueva Vizcaya Governor Rodolfo Q. Agbayani,   DOT Regional Director Blessida Diwa  and DILG 02 OIC-Regional Director  Isabelita EM.  Abcede.

Rep. Lara, in his message, congratulated the DILG for continuously implementing systems of Incentives and Awards for  the LGUs and local elective officials as this  is enshrined in the Local Government Code. He urged the awardees to consider the award both as a prize and an incentive by which they are inspired to do their best just to realize the ultimate goal of decentralization or local autonomy which is self-sufficiency and better service delivery to the people.

For her part,  DILG OIC-RD Abcede  said the awards is an important capital or investment for some local elective officials to continue on their political career.