Balete win‘good housekeeping’ award

By:Venus G. Villanueva

Balete, Aklan — The town of Balete in the eastern side of Aklan made it to the exclusive circle of 15 local government units in the country as a ‘good housekeeping’ awardee.

Balete was picked along with 14 others throughout the country for its exemplary performance in governance, including promoting transparency and accountability.

As a recipient of the seal of good housekeeping, Balete will receive P2 million, according to Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, in an information shared by ecstatic Baleten-ons to the PIA.

As an awardee, Balete qualifies to avail of the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), where it can source fund for the development of the municipality.

Sec. Robredo said that if awarded the fund, the LGU should use the money to implement its priority projects aligned with the national government’s goal to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

A Balenten-on’s blog under “By the Jal-o” bared that Balete pioneered the crafting of a Joint Executive – Legislative Agenda which served as its roadmap for development for each term of both the executive and legislative officials.

“Just this August 2010, it has completed through a month-long workshop-writeshop activities with various stakeholders the only Comprehensive Development Plan in the entire region,” said the Baleten-on blogger.

He shared that reforms in Balete started in 1998 when Mayor Teodoro Calizo called on both major and minor stakeholders in the town to formulate the vision-mission statement of the LGU, “and after 12 years, Balete got recognized for its effort”.

The 14 other LGU awardees include Anilao, Iloilo, Balilihan, Bohol, Catigbian, Bohol, Clarin, Misamis Occidental, Damulog, Bukidnon, Datu Paglas, Maguindanao, Leon B. Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte, Mobo, Masbate, Naawan, Misamis Oriental, Pitogo, Quezon, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur, Santol, La Union, Sto. Domingo, Albay, and Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte. PIA/TE