Albay gets UNDP and Dutch Award for good governance BY MAR ARGUELLES

LINIS KALOG or the Linis Kanal at Ilog (Clean-up of Rivers and Creeks) which aims to promote environmental conservation and at the same time is a “food for work” program for river cleanup in two cities and one municipality (Legazpi and Tabaco City; Ligao City, Daraga and Polangui, Albay together with the ABS-CBN Channel 2 Reporters and Staff)

Albay province receive another feather in one’s cap for innovative approaches in local governance a recognition conferredby the United National Development Programme (UNDP) and the Dutch development agency.

The recognition came along after the province has received the Galing Pook Award (GPA) for 2008 last January 26 this year, after besting 19 other local government units (LGU) across the country.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the province after being named as one of the Top 10 Outstanding Governance Programs in the search for Galing Pook 2008, it has been selected as one of the 4 awardees for the Special Citation on Local Capacity Inventive Mechanism (LoCIM) for Good Governance by the UNDP/Dutch SNV.

The provincial executive said the agency awarded the province for its innovative approaches in institutionalizing incentive mechanism to efficiently deliver services.

Salceda quoting a letter from Pamela Grafilo, Galing Pook Foundation Program Officer for Awards and Promotion said the UNDP-Dutch Award is in line with GPA for institutionalizing the Albay Public Safety and Emergency Office (APSEMO) the first of its kind created in the country.

The APSEMO was primarily created to serve as the technical and administrative arm of the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) due to the geographic and geologic location of the province highly vulnerable to various types of natural hazards like typhoons, flood, mud/debris flows, storm surges, tsunami, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

Salceda said the creation of the APSEMO resulted in attaining a “Zero Casualty” objective, a pre-emptive evacuation system, the integration of Disaster Risk Reduction Plan in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan of the province consistent with five priorities for action under the Hyogo Framework for Action.

Salceda said “this is where we bested other areas in terms of capability in meeting disaster challenges and mitigation measures.”

The awarding ceremonies will be held on February 11 this year at the Rizal Hall in Malacanan with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo conferring the plaque of recognition for this year’s Top 10 Outstanding Local Governance Programs. 

Albay was among the 138 LGUs that qualified to the GPA program application, of these only 19 came as finalist and Albay garnered the top place. For the UNDP award Albay was among the 4 awardees.

The entries to the GPA selection process have undergone a painstaking screening from the 15 members national screening committee chaired by Solita Monsod, former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary.

Salceda said the Albay Program was unanimously endorsed by the 15 members topping other final entries.

The GPA was launched in 1993 as a pioneering program to recognize and promote innovation and excellence in local governance and in support of the Local Government Code.

GPA aims to search, select and recognize outstanding programs of local governments and translating the winning programs into resource materials and knowledge products for dissemination, promotion and replication.

Salceda said this is the first time that the province garnered the top Galing Pook Awardee unlike Naga City who won the GAP Award for Continuing Excellence (ACE) for winning at least three Top Ten Outstanding Local Governance Program Award. The town of Irosin in Sorsogon also won a Galing Pook award in the 90’s.

To win a GPA an LGU should have a seal of good housekeeping and in setting better standards of excellence in local governance, Salceda said.

Salceda said for 14 years, the GPA is considered the “Oscars” of the local governance awards, it has received a total of 2,847 applications from 662 LGUs and has awaqrded 215 exemplary local government programs from 145 LGUs.