The city government of Biñan in Laguna, under the leadership of Mayor Arman Dimaguila, has once again proven to be a model of stellar governance in the province. Recently, Biñan bagged the 2022 Galing Pook Awards for its programs to revitalize the city’s unique cultural and historical heritage.
The city government of Biñan under Mayor Walfredo “Arman” Dimaguila, Jr. has done it again.
The LGU has once more proven to be a worthy example of stellar governance in the province of Laguna as it bagged the 2022 Galing Pook Awards for its programs to revitalize the city’s unique cultural and historical heritage.
Mayor Dimaguila himself, along with Vice Mayor Gel Alonte and Biñan City Culture, History, Arts and Tourism Office (BCHATO) Head BJ Borja, received the award from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. during the Galing Pook Awards held in Malacañang Palace last November 22.
This recognition is given by the Galing Pook Foundation, an institution that offers support, tools and resources to local government units (LGU), enabling them to build adaptive solutions to challenges in their respective communities.
Biñan City is the only LGU in the province of Laguna to be included among the 10 grand winners.
Winning Entry
For the Galing Pook Awards, the city government decided to enter the “Balik-Biñan Project: Tourism Development through Heritage Conservation,” a program aimed at revitalizing the city’s cultural and historical heritage as part of its efforts to boost its tourism sector.
The program, which was started in 2016 during Dimaguila’s first term in office, is part of the city administration’s long-term plans to achieve socio-economic progress in the city, according to officials.
“For the past years kasi, nakilala na ang Biñan City for its culture-based governance, so naisipan naming na itong programang ito ang i-bid namin for the Galing Pook Award,” BCHATO head Borja said in a message to OpinYon Laguna.
Restoration
The program, according to the BCHATO head, entailed various major projects such as the conversion of the Old Municipal Hall into the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Biñan, the restoration of the historic Alberto Mansion, and the current renovation of the Biñan City Plaza.
It should be recalled that former Mayor and now Representative Len Alonte spearheaded a campaign to restore the Alberto Mansion from years of neglect and near-total destruction.
“Ang mga kwento ng tagumpay na napapaloob sa bawat sulok ng tahanang ito ang naging saksi sa kasaysayan ng bawat Binanense na minsang tumapak rin sa kaparehas na lupa na ating tinatapakan sa kasalukuyan,” Rep. Alonte said back in 2020.
“Nakapaloob din sa nasabing proyekto ang pagpo-produce ng mga songs, videos, publications, and websites para sa Biñan, culture-based training para sa city officials, kasama na ang barangay officials, at ang pagbubuo ng Tourism Development Plan [para sa Biñan City],” Borja added.
Historical Preservation
Given Biñan City’s status as a growing progressive city in Laguna province, revisiting (and preserving) the city’s past may sound like a “regression” for some people.
But not for Mayor Dimaguila, who firmly believes that preserving the past is one key for the continued socio-economic progress of the city.
“Dito pumapasok ang isang quotation ni Joseph Joubert [an 18th-century French author], ‘Monuments are the grappling-irons that bind one generation to another,’” Dimaguila said in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.
“Hindi pwedeng mawalan ng koneksyon sa nakaraan ang kasalukuyang henerasyon, dahil kapag nawalan na tayo ng koneksyon sa nakaraan, yung henerasyon na susunod sa atin, ano pa ang magiging koneksyon sa atin? E di wala. At kung mawala na yung koneksyon ng henerasyon na dadating pa sa atin, e di ano na ang mapagkakakilanlan sa atin?” the mayor explained.
Dimaguila’s ideas may sound radical in the Philippine setting, where the gradual destruction of historical sites has become the norm. But to him, preserving the city’s identity is the key for the continuation of the values that made Biñan City a powerhouse city in the province of Laguna.
“Hindi lang naman kasi yung building ang pine-preserve natin kundi pati yung way of life natin bilang Biñanense,” he enthused. “Gusto kong makita na kaya palang umunlad ang isang bayan and at the same time ay hindi nakakalimutan ang kanyang pinanggalingan.”
Economic Benefits
Of course, one big question among ordinary Biñanenses is: what benefit will this program bring to the people?
As both Dimaguila and Borja explained, revitalizing the city’s rich cultural heritage has brought not only pride among Biñanenses but also enabled the city to become a tourist magnet in the province of Laguna.
“Ang tourism po kasi ay isang significant social and economic driver. Medyo hindi pa ito uso sa atin sa Pilipinas, pero tourism is an intangible investment – that is, sa una ay hindi pa natin nakikita iyan, and then as you go along, mare-realize natin na may sense pala itong investment,” Borja explained.
And that rise in visitors has also meant more economic and employment opportunities for Biñanenses, the BCHATO head pointed out.
“As per data from the BPLO [Business Permits Licensing Office], mula 5,000 new businesses na na-register noong 2016, naging 7,000 na ngayong 2022, and that’s for the Biñan City Plaza area alone,” he said.
“So tinitingnan naming iyon na ang pagpo-promote sa aming kultura ay isang come-on para sa mga investor, as well as nagagampanan ng tourism sector ang role niya bilang isang economic driver.”
Dimaguila also sees the massive costs of renovating the city’s historical structures as an investment that has finally been paying dividends since the program was launched in 2016.
“Nakikita mo yung mga vloggers na ginagawang feature ang Biñan City – hindi ba return of investment ito? Hindi mo pwedeng i-quantify ito in terms of money pero intangible, and sa suportang ibinigay naman ng ating mga kababayang Biñanense ay doon natin nakikita na tama ang ginagawa natin,” he said.
And speaking of intangible benefits, Dimaguila also saw how “Balik-Biñan Project” instilled pride among Biñanenses in their heritage, as well as their cooperation in preserving the city’s main tourist sites.
“Nakita [ng mga Binañense] ang kagandahan ng lugar natin, kaya nahihiya na silang magtapon ng basura diyan sa plaza,” he shared. “Nag-improve ang enforcement ng Anti-Littering Law, tapos hindi na pupwede yung mga pagala-gala lang diyan sa plaza, that would no longer be possible.”
A Challenge
The Biñan City LGU’s win in the Galing Pook Awards is a big challenge for other local government units in Laguna to do better in promoting the unique aspects of their area for further socio-economic development.
It's telling, in fact, that the city was able to outperform the nearby city of Sta. Rosa, despite its lower revenue (P2.6 billion in 2020 compared to Sta. Rosa's P4.4 billion during the same year).
BCHATO head Borja certainly hopes so. “Our programs on tourism development and heritage conservation would help open the doors for other LGUs to shift into culture-based governance,” he told OpinYon Laguna.
“Ibig sabihin nito ay gamitin ang kultura nila, kasaysayan nila, yung heritage nila, para mas paunlarin yung bayan nila. That’s the only way para mahanap natin yung pagka-Pilipino natin, at siyempre pag nahanap mo yung pagka-Pilipino, this is the national soul, national pride ito – and I think you’ll never go wrong.”
The awards will also serve as an inspiration for the city government to “do better” in its goals for Biñanenses, Vice Mayor Gel Alonte added.
“Talagang pupush natin ang ating city councilors na talagang mabigyan natin ng diin at bigyan ng importansya itong cultural at historical heritage dito sa atin sa Biñan, paigtingin po natin at palakasin po natin para lalong ma-boost ang ating lungsod,” Alonte told OpinYon Laguna.