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PIA Press Release

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

PNoy confers Galing Pook 2011 award to Misamis Oriental

by Elaine O. Ratunil

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Jan. 31 (PIA) -- President Benigno Simeon Aquino III conferred aPlaque of Outstanding Program to Misamis Oriental with its local peace building initiative

project, The Lantad Peace-Building Experience: Turning Red to Green in Misamis Oriental

(From a No Mans Land to a Land of Hope/Strategic Innovations in Upgrading Misamis

Orientals Provincial Peace and Order Council).

Representing the province of Misamis Oriental, Governor Oscar S. Moreno received the Galing

Pook Awards at the Rizal Ceremonial, January 30.

Sitio Lantads transformation from a war zone in the 1980s to a Special Agrarian ReformCommunity in 2007 is a prime example of how peace and development efforts should be pursued

not by might, but through sincere and concrete efforts to reach out and make a difference in

peoples lives.

Under the program, the province selected Sitio Lantad in Barangay Kibanban, Balingasag town

as a showcase for its paradigm shift in addressing the insurgency in Misamis Oriental byfocusing on peace building instead of war and brute force to win the hearts and minds of people

by subduing the real enemies of peace: poverty and ignorance.

Gov. Moreno said the Lantad Changers included the Core Group, Department of Agrarian

Reform, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture,Department of Interior and Local Government, Commission on Human Rights, National

Commission of Indigenous Peoples, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines,Municipal Government of Balingasag, Barangay Government of Kibanban.

Archdiocesan Center for Concern Empowerment and Services, Interfaith (Roman Catholic

Church; Iglesia Filipina Independiente; Muslim; and United Methodist), Balay Mindanaw,

Balaod Mindanaw, German Doctors, Gising Barangay Movement, Philippine Coalition for

International Criminal Court-Building Bridges for Peace and the media.

The Misamis Oriental LGUs painstaking efforts to build roads and open up the community for

trade and commerce helped them gain the trust of the Higaonons, indigenous people of SitioLantad.

The eventual peace-building program demonstrates the paradigm shift from reactive to aproactive council advancing social equity, people empowerment and access to the best possible

social services.

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The awardees of the Galing Pook are chosen from a national search of local governance

programs, evaluated through a multilevel rigorous screening process based on positive results

and impact, promotion of peoples participation and empowerment, innovation, transferabilityand sustainability, and efficiency of program service delivery.

Pres. Aquino III cited the important role of local government units as partners of the Aquinoadministration in pushing for developmental projects focusing on poverty alleviation, education

and health as part of his social contract with the Filipino people.

He said through good governance as a result of constant cooperation from the national and local

governments with the unwavering support from the people, the country will fulfill sustainableprogress and development.

Further, he underscored the importance of unity and cooperation as essential tools in attaining

the objectives in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

The Galing Pook awards is a program that recognizes innovations and excellence in localgovernance.

This year, a total of 137 entries were submitted: 55 from Luzon, 33 Visayas and 49 Mindanao.

The 10 awardees for 2011 are Sarangani Province (Justice on Wheels); Misamis Oriental(Turning red to green); Upi Maguindanao (rural community e-Center); Zamboanga del Norte

(empowering the Subanen people); Limasawa Southern Leyte (poor municipality can eliminate

nutrition); Alimodian Iloilo (bringing high schools closer to home); Bohol province (rabies

prevention and elimination); Maribojoc Bohol (LGU-led cadastral survey); Albay province(health strategy for MDG attainment); and Real, Gen. Nakar, Infanta and Panukulan in Quezon

Province (community-based mental health management). (PIA-10)