The Municipality of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro has been recognized as one of ten winners, the only one from MIMAROPA region, in the prestigious 2024 Galing Pook Awards for its innovative waste water management program.

Under Mayor Rocky D. Ilagan’s leadership, the coastal municipality implemented comprehensive waste water management programs that earned national acclaim from the Galing Pook Foundation, which annually recognizes outstanding local governance programs across the Philippines.

No less than Pres. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. conferred the award to LGU Puerto Galera, represented by Mayor Ilagan, in a simple rite held recently in Malacañang Palaca.

The program was selected alongside nine other innovative local government projects, including those from Bataan, Quezon City, and Davao del Norte, in a competition that evaluates effectiveness, innovation, and sustainability of local governance programs.

This year’s awards were supported by a coalition of public and private sector partners, including SM Prime Holdings, the Department of Interior and Local Government, Landbank of the Philippines, and international development agencies from Canada and the United States.

The recognition shows Puerto Galera’s stand on environmental protection and sustainable development, particularly crucial for a municipality known for its tourist destinations and marine ecosystems.

The Galing Pook Awards have been instrumental in identifying and promoting innovative governance practices in Philippine local government units since their inception.

Here are the other awardees from the 2024 Galing Pook Awards:

1. Balanga Community-Based Ecotourism Zone (Balanga City, Bataan)
2. Quezon City Birth Registration Online (QC BRO) from Quezon City
3. “Saving Kan: A Love Story in Ormoc Bay” – Marine Mammal and Reptile Rehabilitation Center (Ormoc City)
4. Safe Spaces and Safeguarding Children: Strengthening LGU-Led Community-Based Child Protection (Valenzuela City)
5. Kapalong College of Agriculture, Sciences and Technology: The First Local College in Davao Region (Kapalong, Davao del Norte)
6. Pag-asa sa Bagong Buhay (Pandi, Bulacan)
7. “Breathing Life into the Ayta Magbukun: A Collaborative Initiative for Language Restoration in Bataan” (Bataan Province)
8. Project Teaching Opportunities Prioritizing Illiteracy (Cabagan, Isabela)
9. Ating Dibdibin Program (Taguig City)

These programs, along with Puerto Galera’s Waste Water Management initiative, represent diverse areas of governance including education, environmental protection, social services, cultural preservation, and public administration.

Each program demonstrates innovative approaches to addressing local challenges across different regions of the country.

The Galing Pook Awards, established on October 21, 1993, is a prestigious program designed at recognizing innovative practices among local government units (LGUs) in the Philippines.

This program not only honors outstanding local governance but also serves as a catalyst for promoting effective governance strategies across the nation.

The primary goal of the Galing Pook Awards is to identify and celebrate exemplary local governance initiatives that address community challenges through innovative solutions.

Since its inception, the awards have recognized 357 programs from 230 LGUs, creating a repository of best practices that can be replicated in other communities.

Awardees are selected based on a rigorous evaluation process that assesses their programs’ positive results, impact, innovation, sustainability, and efficiency in service delivery.