Marcos urges LGUs to improve programs for constituents

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday urged local government units (LGUs) to continue improving their programs to better serve their constituents.

“As the needs of our communities continue to evolve, so must the solutions we provide. Continue improving your programs. Let your accomplishments inspire other local governments to learn and to take your success even further,” Marcos said during the 2026 Galing Pook Awards: The Ten Outstanding Local Governance Programs in Malacañang.

This year’s awardees were selected following a nationwide search for outstanding local governance initiatives.

Nominees underwent a rigorous evaluation process that assessed their impact, community empowerment, innovation, adaptability, resilience, sustainability, service efficiency, and potential for replication in other areas.

Among the award-winning initiatives were Baguio City’s anti-dengue program, the use of electric vehicles in Bataan, the issuance of identification cards to residents in Lanao del Sur, Quezon City’s services for children with disabilities, and a literacy program for Mangyan communities in Oriental Mindoro.

Marcos said the initiatives demonstrated how good governance could bring meaningful change to communities.

“Magkakaiba man ang mga hamon at solusyon, iisa ang pinapakita ng mga programang ito — na ang mahusay na pamamahala ay nagdudulot ng tunay at makabuluhang pagbabago sa buhay ng ating mga kababayan,” he said.

(Although the challenges and solutions may differ, these programs demonstrate one thing: good governance brings genuine and meaningful change to the lives of our fellow Filipinos.)

“To our ten awardees, may this recognition inspire you to achieve even more. The beauty of innovation is that there is always room for improvement. Whether through technology or better approaches to governance, we can always build on what we have achieved,” he added.

Since its establishment in 1993, the Galing Pook Awards has recognized 377 programs implemented by 244 local governments. — VBL, GMA News