Miagao bags Excellence in Local Governance Award
[ Manila Bulletin Online ] December 27, 2008
By ADORA B. MANDE
MIAGAO, Iloilo – The municipality of Miagao, Iloilo was given the "Excellence in Local Governance Awards (Excell Awards) for being the best performing first-to-third class town in Western Visayas.
Initiated by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Excell Awards aims to recognize and showcase the outstanding achievements of local governments in the areas of administrative governance, social services, economic development, and environmental management. The contest covered the period from July 1, 2007 to June 20, 2008.
Aside from receiving the Excellence Awards in Local Governance, the municipality also bagged the special award for environmental management for being the most environment-friendly town in the region.
Other awards categories are Outstanding Province, Outstanding City, and Outstanding fourth-to-sixth class municipality. There were also specials awards for Excellence in Administrative Governance, Excellence in Social Services, Excellence in Economic Development, and Excellence in Environmental Management.
Miagao bested the other top municipalities in the region. These are San Jose , San Remigio, and Sibalom in Antique; Maayon and Pontevedra in Capiz; Buenavista and Jordan in Guimaras; Anilao and Oton in Iloilo; and Hinigaran in Negros Occidental.
On short notice, the team of regional evaluators from the DILG, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Social Welfare and Development Office, Department of Health, Department of Education, Police Regional Office, and private groups conducted an on-site evaluation and validation of the initial assessment of the DILG provincial offices on Dec. 9, 2008.
Among the areas evaluated were administrative governance – local legislation, transparency, participation, development planning, revenue collection, resource allocation and utilization, financial accountability, costumer service and human resource management and development; social services – health and nutrition, education, housing and basic utilities and peace and security and disaster risk management; economic development - agriculture and fisheries, entrepreneurship and business and industry promotion; and environmental management – natural resources management and pollution control.
"We warmly welcome the evaluators who come to our municipality and evaluate our performance. Being crowned as the Excellence in Local Governance Awardee in WV is a great honor and pride for the Miagaowanons. I am glad that our efforts in local governance have gained recognition and have brought Miagao to the pedestal of excellence," said Miagao Mayor Julieta N. Flores. (PIA)
