President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday called on local government units across the country to continuously pursue innovative solutions and expand successful public service programs to meet the evolving needs of their communities.
Speaking at the 2026 Galing Pook Awards Ceremony at Malacañang Palace, the President led the recognition of the top ten outstanding local governance initiatives, encouraging local chief executives, winners and finalists to build on their achievements to inspire nationwide progress.
“The beauty of innovation is that there is always room for improvement. Whether through technology or better approaches to governance, we can always build on what we have achieved,” the President told LGU leaders. “As the needs of our communities continue to evolve, so must the solutions that we provide. Continue improving your programs, let your accomplishments inspire other local governments to learn and to take your success even further.”
This year’s Galing Pook Award recipients span a wide range of community-centric initiatives in health, environmental resilience, education, agriculture and digital governance. The winning programs include Bataan Province’s Bataan E-Mobility, Valenzuela City’s Building Spaces in a Spaceless City, Del Carmen in Surigao del Norte’s Del Carmen Farm-to-Spoon and Iloilo City’s Iloilo City Action and Resilience (ICARe) Center: Decentralizing Risk Governance.
Other recognized initiatives include Quezon City’s KABAHAGI: QC’s Family-Governed Care for Children with Disabilities, Davao del Norte’s Kawsa sa Agrikultura ug Panginabuhian sa Barangay (KAAGAPAY), Malolos City’s North Manila Bay Nature-based Solutions Pilot Project, Pagayawan in Lanao del Sur’s One Name, One Identity: Walang Maiiwan Pagayawan, Baguio City’s Project Denguerra – War on Dengue, and Oriental Mindoro’s Zero Illiteracy and Innumeracy Program for Mangyans (ZIP).Highlighting the long-term impact of LGU initiatives, Marcos stressed that sustained innovations form the bedrock of national development.
“We must continue to encourage new ideas and build on the solutions that have already been made and that are 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.”