The City of Bacolod continues its winning streak after being named as the “Best Performing LGU (Local Government Unit)-City Category in Western Visayas” by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for 2019.
The recognition was given during the awarding rites in this year’s Excellence in Local Governance (EXCELL) Awards held at the Diversion 21 Hotel in Iloilo City on Tuesday.
Mayor Evelio Leonardia, represented by DILG-Bacolod City Director Ma. Joy Maredith Madayag in receiving the award, acknowledged the efforts of his fellow city officials, department and office heads, and employees for making Bacolod what it is today.
“This proves the efficiency and responsiveness of government machinery and the vibrancy of the economy and the city in general,” the mayor said in a statement on Tuesday night.
Other winners for Best Performing City are Passi City (Iloilo), first runner-up and San Carlos City (Negros Occidental), second runner-up.
The city officials and department heads of Bacolod were unable to make it to the awarding ceremony as the city government was on standby for heightened disaster preparedness and emergency response for Typhoon “Tisoy.”
Aside from being the champion in Best in Performing City Category, Bacolod also received five special awards in the five areas of governance.
These included champion in Excellence in Local Legislation, Excellence in Administrative Governance, and Excellence in Environmental Governance as well as first runner-up in Excellence in Social Governance and Excellence in Economic Governance.
This year’s awarding ceremony dubbed “Pagdayaw 2019: Reaping Results. Upscaling Innovations,” was led by DILG-Western Visayas Regional Director Ariel Iglesia, Assistant Regional Director Maria Calpiza Sardua, and Civil Service Commission-Western Visayas Regional Director Nelson Sarmiento, who awarded the trophies to the winners.
The EXCELL awards were among the top honors received by Bacolod this year, after being recognized as the Top Philippine Model City 2019 by The Manila Times in September, and recipient of the Seal of Good Local Governance Award for 2019, also from the DILG in November.
Last month, Bacolod was also a finalist at the Digital Governance Awards (eGov Awards) presented by the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, and the DILG. (PNA)
