President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged local governments to come up with new ways to solve community problems and expand programs that have already delivered results.
Speaking at the 2026 Galing Pook Awards ceremony in Malacañang on October 21, Marcos Jr. recognized 10 local governance programs for their efforts to improve public services and address local concerns.
“We must continue to encourage new ideas and build on the solutions that have already been made and that now feeling the difference in our communities,” he said.
“Let us ensure that the progress we achieve today becomes the foundation for even greater accomplishments.”
The awards, carrying the theme “Islands of Hope: Local Innovations, National Inspiration,” recognize local government initiatives that offer practical solutions to community problems.
Among the awardees was Iloilo City’s Action and Resilience (ICARe) Center program, which brings disaster preparedness and emergency response closer to communities.
Other winning programs covered electric mobility in Bataan, housing and public spaces in Valenzuela City, farm-to-table initiatives in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte, and care for children with disabilities in Quezon City.
The other awardees were agricultural and livelihood programs in Davao del Norte, a community-led coastal resilience project in Malolos City, an identity program in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur, a dengue prevention campaign in Baguio City, and a literacy and numeracy program for Mangyan communities in Oriental Mindoro.
The Galing Pook Awards secretariat received 208 applications from 148 local government units for this year’s search.
The 10 outstanding programs received trophies, recognition markers and P300,000 cash prizes from the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Local Government Academy.IMT
