Bulacan bags 2nd Seal of Good Housekeeping award

MALOLOS CITY—Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas conferred to the provincial government of Bulacan the 2011 Seal of Good Housekeeping recently.

This is the second seal received by Bulacan in two years.  The first was last year when DILG award the provincial government the 2010 Seal of Good House Keeping.

The annual award is given to outstanding local government units (LGUs) in recognition  for their  overall performance Index based on the Local Government Performance Measurement System, Innovation and implemented programs from 2009 – 2011, and awards received in 2011 from accredited International, National and local award giving bodies.

Governor Wilhelmino Alvarad and Vice Governor Danie Fernando receive the award from Roxas in a ceremony held at Oxford Hote in Clark Freeport early this week.

In a statement, Alvarado said that the award was given in recognition of Bulacan’s efforts in advancing the principles of accountability and transparency in local governance which also placed the province second in the Regional Gawad Pamana ng Lahi.

The regional award’s theme fof this year is, “Tanglaw Kinabukasan, Awtonomiyang Lokal: Reporma sa Pag-unlad ng Ekonomiya ng Pamayanan at Pagsulong ng Kapayapaan ng Taong Bayan”.

“Ipinagmamalaki ko ‘yung ginagawa naming pagpapatupad ng No helmet no ride, kasi unti-unti naiintindihan ng mga mamamayan na para din sa ikabubuti nila ‘yon, sa mga ibinababa naming programa, nagagalak akong sabihin sa inyo hindi iyon magiging matagumpay kung hindi nagkakaisa ang mga Bulakenyo, mula sa mga namumuno, mga empleyado at mga mamamayan, lahat may papel na ginagampanan at nagpapasalamat kami na nakikita at nabibigyan ng halaga ‘yung mga ginagawa naming pagsisikap sa Bulacan,” the governor said.

Alvarado added that the award will not only make Bulakenyos proud, but a reminder that Bulacancan do things if local leaders are united and focused in achieving set goals.

Last year, the provincial government of Bulacan received its first Seal of Good Housekeeping award along with a number of municipalities in the province like San Rafael town and the City of Malolos.

As this developed, the municipalities of Baliwag and Donya Remedios Trinidad were identified as waterless municipalities and were chosen as beneficiaries of the SALINTUBIG aid.

Baliwag received a total of P3 million  in aid, while the mountain town of Donya Remedios Trinidad received  P7 million for their clean water project.  (Dino Balabo)