BACOLOD City – Negros Occidental reclaimed the distinction of being the Best Performing Province in Western Visayas.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government conferred the award to Negros Occidental during the 2018 Search for Excellence in Local Governance (Excell) Awards rites in Iloilo City.
The award recognizes the continued excellent governance practiced by the Negros Occidental provincial government, said according to Provincial Planning and Development Officer Ma. Lina Sanogal.
It was also a “nice welcome” for Negros Occidental, which reintegrated into Region 6 late last year after the Negros Island Region was abolished, she said.
“We skipped the Excell Awards in the two years we were under the Negros Island Region,” Sanogal said Thursday. “Before that, we have already been elevated to the Hall of Fame as Best Performing Province.”
In August 2017 President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order 38, revoking the EO that created the island region, citing lack of funds.
Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental were originally under Western Visayas and Central Visayas, respectively, before they were merged into an island region in 2015.
Sanogal joined Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. in receiving the award from Interior Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III and Regional Director Anthony Nuyda at Diversion 21 Hotel on Wednesday.
Moreover, Sanogal said, the award was “a fitting tribute to Governor Marañon’s various accomplishments as he finishes his term in mid-2019.”
Now on his third and last term as governor, Marañon is no longer seeking an elective position in the May 2019 midterm elections.
Capiz was first runner-up and Antique, second runner-up, in the Best Performing Province category.
Negros Occidental was also the champion in Excellence in Economic Governance and Excellence in Environmental Governance, and second runner-up in Excellence in Local Legislation.
The Best Performing Province award came with a cash prize of P20,000 and each of the special awards, P10,000.
Other winners from Negros Occidental were Binalbagan town, second runner-up, Best Performing Municipality (first- to third-class), and Bago City, second runner-up, Best Performing City.
Champions in special awards include Binalbagan town (Excellence in Social Governance), Bago City (Excellence in Economic Governance and Most Innovative Best Practice) and San Carlos City (Excellence in Environmental Governance and Excellence in Local Legislation).
The Excell Awards, also called “Pagdayaw,” is an annual tradition of recognizing the commendable performance and novelty of local government units and DILG personnel toward excellence in local governance.
It cites the best-managed LGUs in the region as shown by their achievements in Administrative Governance, Social Governance, Economic Governance, Environmental Governance, and Local Legislation. (With Philippine News Agency/PN)
