For the city government of San Pedro, Laguna, the recent awards the LGU received from the various government agencies are proof that it is on the right direction on becoming “Una sa Laguna.”
To recall, the city government on November 4 and 5 received two consecutive awards from national government agencies: the SubayBAYANI Award from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Top Performing Local Government Unit Award from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF), an attached agency of the Department of Finance.
Mayor Art Mercado, who personally received both awards, said these two awards are also the fruit of the outstanding performance of members of the local civil service, who have worked to the best (and beyond) their abilities to achieve their common goals.
“Ang pagkilalang ito ay hindi lamang para sa amin, kundi para sa bawat San Pedrense na nagsusumikap para sa mas maunlad at tapat na pamahalaan,” Mercado said in a social media post.
‘Tama ang direksyon’
The same sentiment is shared by those working in the rank and file of local governance who have labored along with the city’s top officials to improve the LGU’s services to San Pedrenses.
“Ang mga pagkilalang natatanggap ng Lungsod ng San Pedro mula sa national government ay patunay na tama ang tinatahak nating direksyon sa local governance,” Jhe-rico Sam Colina, head of the San Pedro City Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO), said in a message to OpinYon Laguna.
“Hindi lang ito para sa city government—para ito sa bawat San Pedrense na araw-araw na nakikinabang sa mas mabilis, mas maayos, at mas transparent na serbisyo,” he added.
The fact that national agencies are able to see and recognize these efforts of the local government is a point of pride in itself, Colina added.
“Higit sa lahat, pinatutunayan nitong kaya ng San Pedro makipagsabayan sa pinakamagagaling na lungsod sa bansa kapag sama-sama ang liderato at komunidad sa iisang layunin—ang umangat ang kalidad ng buhay ng ating mga kababayan.”
Improvements
But more than the achievements and the awards, the San Pedro City LGU believes that it is through the vetting process that they underwent for these awards that they are able to gauge their own performance and improve the services they provide.
“Ang pagkilala ay nagpapatunay na maganda ang ginagawa natin, pero ipinapaalala rin nitong marami pa tayong puwedeng paghusayan,” Colina shared.
“Naniniwala po tayo na ang bawat pagkilala ay hindi katapusan, kundi simula ng mas mataas na standards na dapat nating pagpatuloy.
“May ilang areas of improvement pa rin tayong tinututukan: Mas streamlined na proseso para mas mapabilis pa ang transaksyon ng publiko, lalo na sa business, frontline services, at social services; mas matibay na data-driven systems upang ang mga desisyon ay nakabatay sa tunay na pangangailangan ng komunidad; mas pinalakas na monitoring and evaluation upang masiguro na lahat ng programa ay sustainable, measurable, at may long-term impact; at syempre, continuous capacity building para sa ating mga kawani, dahil sila ang puso ng ating serbisyo publiko.”
Future plans
Now that the city government under Mayor Mercado has laid down the foundations of becoming a “SmART City,” what should San Pedrenses expect from the local government in the next year?
“Ngayong pinarangalan tayo, mas lalo po nating palalawakin ang mga inisyatibo sa mga ahensyang nabigyan ng pagkilala,” Colina said.
“Ilan sa mga dapat abangan ng mga San Pedrense ay: Mas advanced na digital services upang mas maging accessible ang mga government transactions online; Expanded livelihood at skills training programs para sa ating working population, kababaihan, kabataan, at senior citizens; mas malawak na social protection programs, kasama ang dagdag na assistance at community-based interventions; infrastructure support para sa mas maayos na mobility, public safety, at disaster preparedness; at higit sa lahat, mas malalim at inclusive na community engagement programs, dahil gusto nating mas marinig ang boses ng ating mga kababayan.
“Simple lang po ang pangako natin: kung anuman ang kinilala ng national government, hindi natin titigilan—bagkus, lalo pa natin itong palalakasin para maramdaman ng bawat San Pedrense ang tunay na pagbabago,” he concluded.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #SubayBAYANIAward #TopPerformingLGU #BLGF