San Francisco Reaps Awards at Our Cebu Program Recognition Rites

The municipality of San Francisco in the Camotes Island recently bagged the most outstanding local government unit (LGU) of Cebu Province during awarding rites of the Our Cebu Program (OCP) yesterday at the Capitol Social Hall.

San Francisco LGU received a Php 1 million cash prize and trophy for this award, winning three years in a row.

They were also recognized as the Best in Heritage Work, taking home a P100,000 cash prize and plaque. Aside from that, San Francisco LGU was also recognized one of three most child-friendly LGUs in the province.

Naga City and Liloan town shared the limelight with San Francisco in second and third place with their corresponding prize money of P750,000 and P500,000 respectively.

Talisay City and Pilar in Camotes Island were the other awardees in the most child friendly LGU.

In his message, Governor Hilario P. Davide III encouraged everyone’s cooperation to transform Cebu into an ideal hub for work and leisure.

“We want Cebu to fully transform into an ideal place for work, play, do business, and to live in. This dream of a livable Cebu can only be achieved with the cooperation of every municipality in the province,” he said.

He hoped local chief executives will aspire for excellence.

He recalled last year asking the winners then to share their success stories with neighboring municipalities to guide them in their own quest in the future.

Twelve other municipalities also shared the honors as outstanding LGUs of Cebu Province each receiving P300,000 cash prize.

Liloan town also received the “Green Award” for its environmental thrust manifested through coastal and street clean-up as well as tree planting activities.

Best in Governance award was also given to Liloan while Naga City was named most livable among LGUs.

Other special awardees include Bogo City as Emerging LGU, a new category in the awards-giving endeavor for local government units who have leveled up in their performance 10 notches higher than their record in the previous year.

OCP also awarded the Top 15 performing barangays and Top 15 performing schools province-wide.

Barangay Villadolid in Carcar City led the top five performing barangays, an honor it shared with Barangay Santiago in San Francisco, Camotes; Barangay Poblacion, Liloan; Barangay Putat, Tuburan; and Barangay Gairan, Bogo City.

Ten other barangays representing other LGUs were also awarded in barangay performance.

In the top performing schools, Mainit Elementary School in Naga City, Bantayan Integrated School, Gibuangan Central School in Barili, Camotes National high School in San Francisco, and Compostela Central School led ten others in the list.

Top 15 schools each received an LED projector and screen.

In her welcome message, Vice Governor Agnes Magpale said that Cebu Province, through OCP, aims to make Cebu sustainable and livable.

OCP was launched three years ago in collaboration with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc.

Our Cebu Program was adopted as an institutional mechanism to measure performance and encourage leaders to carry out good governance practices. The scorecard incorporates appropriate standards and criteria in six key points: green, livability, inclusiveness and competitiveness, historical and cultural, resiliency and governance.”

Recommended schools and municipalities are evaluated twice a year to ensure their implementation and compliance of the above key areas.

Barangays are likewise evaluated in the second round of validation to ensure implementation of the benefits to the constituents.

In next year’s search, barangays will be given due recognition for being child friendly. (Fides Palicte)

SOURCE: www.cebu.gov.ph