Concepcion wins anew Galing Pook award
The municipality of Concepcion recently won another Galing Pook Award for its locally - initiated activity called "Local Initiatives Achieving Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) through Integrated Population, Health and Environment (PHE) Program."
The Special Citation on Local Capacity Innovations for the MDG award given by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and Galing Pook Foundation (GF) was received by no less than Mayor Raul Banias from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at Teatro Marikina on October 16, 2006.
Concepcion and the other nine entries which made it to the top ten bested hundred others that participated in the said search which focused on the eight goals of MDGs.
This is the third Galing Pook Award received by Concepcion from the GF and DILG - Local Government Academy since its participation in 2003. Its first award was for Zero Poverty 2020, a Trailblazing Program in 2004 and the second was when it was recognized as one of the Top Ten Outstanding Programs of the country in 2005 for its entry "Harnessing Synergy in Integrated Population Health and Environment Programming".
The implementation of Concepcion's integrated PHE program has empowered the communities as well as taught the people of skills and knowledge in planning for their lives and deciding on the size of their families. It has also improved the people's health - care services and taught them to preserve mangrove areas and fishing grounds.
The people in the community said the program is a good tool in addressing the poverty and population problems of the municipality.
Among the targets of MDGs are: to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; to achieve universal primary education; promote gender equality; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability; and develop global partnership for development.
In a recent meeting with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, UNDP country representative Nileema Noble acknowledged that the government is making good progress in the pursuit of MDG.
The country is on track to meet the MDG targets to cut poverty substantially by 2015 on the back of rising incomes, more jobs, better schools and broader social services.
(PIA)