BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – -The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC – CAR), through the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA – CAR) recognized 46 local government units in the 2022 FLAME or Forwarding Local Autonomy Medal of Excellence Awards at the Venus Parkview Hotel on November 21, 2023.
The FLAME Awards recognizes local government units that excel based on their exemplary efforts towards achieving good governance, support to RDC initiatives and advocacy on regional development and autonomy, and their participation to RDC – led activities.
LGUs that garner a minimum of 75 percent are bestowed the Excellence Award while those who garner 60 – 74 points are given the Special Award.
Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong receives the 2022 FLAME Excellence Award . This is the third time the city government bagged the award making it a Hall of Famer. (CCD/PIA CAR)
For the 2022 FLAME Awards, five LGUs namely Tublay, Benguet; Tadian, Mountain Province; Luna, Apayao; La Trinidad, Benguet and Baguio City received the FLAME Champion Award for topping the rating in their respective LGU classification categories.
There were also 12 recipients of the FLAME Excellence Award – the LGUs of Bucay, Tubo and Tineg of Abra; Asipulo, Banaue and Lamut of Ifugao; Barlig, Bauko and Bontoc of Mountain Province; Kibungan and Itogon of Benguet, and the Provincial LGU of Mountain Province.
For the FLAME Special Award, awardees are Peñarrubia, Lacub, La Paz, Tayum, San Juan and Dolores in Abra; Besao, Sabangan, Sadanga and Sagada in Mountain Province; Sablan Benguet and Pasil in Kalinga for the 5th to 6th class municipalities; Kabayan, Bokod and Kapangan of Benguet; Tinoc and Mayoyao of Ifugao; Rizal, Kalinga and Pudtol, Apayao for the 4th class category; and Flora, Apayao;Buguias, Benguet; Alfonso Lista, Ifugao and Balbalan, Kalinga for the 3rd class municipalities, and Paracelis, Mountain Province for 2nd class municipalities.
Special awardees for Component City and 1st Class Municipality category are Tabuk City,and the LGUs of Calanasan, Apayao; Tuba; and Benguet and Mankayan in Benguet. For the provincial category is the Provincial LGU of Benguet.
RDC Co-chairperson Edna Tabanda, RDC Sectoral Committee on Development Administration chairperson Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, NEDA – CAR Regional Director Susan Sumbeling and Department of the Interior and Local Government – CAR Assistant Regional Director Ruperto Maribbay Jr. awarded the FLAME plaque of recognition to the awardees.
Tabanda emphasized the importance of good governance down to the LGU level for the achievement of the region’s socio – economic and development goals.
“Good governance is the cornerstone of vibrant and resilient communities where cultural diversity is leveraged and celebrated. The recipients of the FLAME awards have continually represented ideals of fairness, accountability and commitment to the welfare of the people and have remained dedicated to the realization as partners in working for a Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na buhay for all Cordillerans”, Tabanda stressed.
La Trinidad, Benguet Mayor Romeo Salda (3rd from left) receives the RDC – CAR FLAME Excellence Award. the the Component City and 1st Class Municipality Category. (CCD/PIA CAR)
The FLAME Awards is implemented by a Regional Awards Committee composed of the chairpersons of the different RDC Sectoral Committee. It passes through the inter – agency Regional Assessment Team which uses the criteria of 30 percent based on the LGUs efforts towards good governance; 60% – LGUs support to RDC initiatives and advocacy on regional development and autonomy; while 10% is based on their participation to RDC – led activities.(JDP/CCD-PIA CAR)
