2011 Legislative awardees for Reg. 8 announced

CEBU, Philippines - The Ormoc City Council repeated last year's performance as it took the DILG-Region 8's Legislative Award for 2011, under the independent city category.

Other awardees are Maasin City for the component city category; Catarman in Northern Samar (for 1st class municipality category), Hilongos in Leyte (for 2nd class), Naval in Biliran (for 3rd class), Babatngon in Leyte (for 4th class), Balangiga in Eastern Samar (for 5th class) and Cabucgayan in Biliran (for 6th class).

The awarding rites will be held at the People's Center and Library in Tacloban City on January 28 (Friday) with DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo on hand to confer the awards to the outstanding legislative councils in Eastern Visayas.

Robredo will be representing President Benigno "P.Noy" Aquino III, who was invited by the Philippine Councilor's League to keynote the awards ceremonies but could not personally come.

Miles Colasito, DILG-8 information officer, said the results are not yet ranked and the rankings will be announced on the awards ceremony itself. 

The annual awards were first launched in year 2000 by the DILG and the PCL for municipalities alone, and it was then adopted as a nationwide search in 2006 to include cities.

The councils were evaluated from the period June 30, 2009 to June 30, 2010 and were judged on the following criteria: Effectiveness of the legislative agenda, effectiveness of the legislative agenda; availability of legislative documents; efficiency of performance of the legislative council, and quality of office set-up and staff complement. — THE FREEMAN