‘Pagkilala’: BARMM Gov’t Honors 153 LGUs, Officials with Outstanding Performances

During its 4th founding anniversary celebration, the Government of the Day, through the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), honored and recognized local chief executives (LCEs) for their contributions in bringing peace, development, and prosperity whilst upholding “Moral Governance” in their respective communities.

Interior Minister Atty. Naguib G. Sinarimbo mentioned that the region could not fully deliver its mandate without LGUs’ participation through the forefront service delivery of LCEs in the barangays, municipalities, cities and provinces.

“We honor performing LGUs which truly pioneered innovative and exemplary services to our constituents; we do not have to reinvent the will. The dream of your new regional government is to see the LGUs optimizing their performance and our constituent enjoying the good and moral governance in the region,” Sinarimbo said.

“The key to quickening the face of development and bringing this region into greater rise is to be able to complement our resources’ national share in the development, regional government and that of local government units,” he added.

Conferment of “Pagkilala” Awards has many categories, such as to performing provinces, cities, and municipalities that covers Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Functionality (39 awardees); Local Government Functionality Appraisal (LOGFA) (59 awardees); Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentive Award (LTIA) (nine awardees); Search for Model Barangays (SMB) (11 awardees); LGU Grant Assistance Practices (LGAIP) (two awardees); Awarding of Seal of Good Local Governance Incentive Fund (SGLGIF) to the SGLG conferred LGUs (14 awardees); Recognition of MILG Field Officers of LGUs with National Awards (18 awardees); and Salamat Excellence Award for Leadership (SEAL) for one awardee won by South Upi Mayor Reynalbert O. Insular.

SEAL is the highest recognition and the most prestigious award given by the Bangsamoro Government to leaders for an outstanding delivery of services that contribute to the establishment of a Moral Governance in the BARMM by popularizing the principle of volunteerism demonstrated by great Bangsamoro revolutionary leader Sheikh Salamat Hashim, founder and chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILG). The SEAL Award pays tribute to and honors Salamat and perpetuates his legacy.

As the third winner, Insular received the 2022 SEAL, a gold-plated medallion worth Php400,000, and Php2.5 million worth of local development projects.

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Al-Hajj Murad” Ebrahim underscored that awarding like this is a formal way of expressing our gratitude to all government units and local leaders for upholding the principles of Moral Governance, peace, and progress in the area.

“This simply implies that the Bangsamoro region is expanding, progressing and becoming a more peaceful area,” the Chief Minister said.

“We all know that we achieve this government after more than four decades of struggle of the Bangsamoro people and we have to celebrate and recognize the efforts of all those who fully join the struggle and sympathize with the struggle,” Ebrahim, the MILF chairman added. He stressed further that this would serve as an inspiration to all LGUs to strive to improve their services guided by the principle of Moral Governance.

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Atty. Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos, Jr. noted that the performance of the awardees sets a benchmark for everybody to do more and exert more in fulfillment of the sworn duties as public servants.

“As we showcase the innovative practices of these LGUs we are recognizing and we take cognizance to the leaders who have fully exemplary performance and upheld Moral Governance in achieving a ‘Mas Mapayapa at Masaganang Bangsamoro’ (More Peaceful and Abundant Bangsamoro),” Abalos said.

LCE Awardees

The LoGFA and LTIA were also awarded to top performing LGUs. The former aims to define, operationalize, and assess the functionality of LGUs while the latter recognizes the functional local governments and barangays whose “Lupon Tagapamayapa” have excelled in settling disputes in their communities.

Fifty-Nine from the provinces of Maguindanao (28), Lanao del Sur (18), Basilan (4), Sulu (4), and Tawi-Tawi (5) were awarded with the LoGFA, wherein each received Php200,000 and plaques of recognition.

Nine barangays bagged the LTIA will be given markers and cash where the champion received Php160,000 first place with Php120,000 and Php90,000 for the second placer.

For the 4th-6th class category, Brgy. Kauran in Ampatuan, Maguindanao was declared as champion. First and second places were awarded, respectively, to Brgy. Mao in Datu Abdullah Sangki and Brgy. Kaya-Kaya, Datu Abdullah of the same province.

For the 1st-3rd class category, the champion was Brgy. Rempes in Upi, Maguindanao, 1st placer was Borongotan, Upi, Maguindanao, and 2nd placers were tied by two Barangays of Bilaan, Talipao, Sulu and Brgy. Manila Group in Wao, LDS.

For the city/barangay category, the champion was Brgy. Maligaya, Lamitan City, Basilan and Brgy. Limo-ok, Lamitan City, Basilan won the first place.

Eleven (11) Barangays from Provinces of Maguindanao (10) and Sulu (1) received markers and cash amounting to Php900,000.00 as recipients of Search for Model Barangays (SMB) for their exemplary performance shown in upholding good governance in areas of administration, social services, economic development, and environmental management.

The MILG also recognized two (2) LGUs namely, Paglat, Maguindanao, and Upi, Maguindanao, on their Bringing Quality Education closer to the community Towards Transformation and Empowerment (BRIQuETTE Program), and Upi, Maguindanao, on their DXUP Radio for Peace: Upholding Moral Governance Through Transparency and Community Empowerment, as both recipients of local grant assistance for innovative practices (LGAIP) amounting each to Php2,500,000.00 worth of a project.

Thirty-nine BARMM municipalities received the Special Anti-Drug Abuse Council Awards were also given to LGUs who sustained the drug-cleared status of their drug-affected barangays and for maintaining a drug-free status of their unaffected barangays.

The Government of the Day also championed 14 LGUs which bagged the national award of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG). Of which, two (2) from the Province of Basilan, two (2) from Lanao Del Sur, and ten (10) from the province of Maguindanao received an amount of Php9.5 million for provinces, Php6.5 million for Cities and Php5 million for municipalities intended for the local development project.

Moreover, also further commended were the 18 MILG Officers of LGUs with National Awards from the provinces of Basilan (2 officers), Lanao Del Sur (3 officers), and Maguindanao (13 officers). (/)