QUEZON CITY -- The national government recognized on Tuesday the best performing local government units (LGUs) for their consistent and steadfast implementation of the Safety Seal Certification, VaxCertPH, and National Vaccination Program or 'Bayanihan Bakunahan' as it urges other LGUs to replicate the winners' best practices in COVID-19 response.
No less than President Rodrigo Roa Duterte congratulated the winners for their able leadership amid the pandemic and for being invaluable partners of the national government in executing important programs that contributed to the improved COVID-19 status of the country.
"Salute to all the recipients of this day's awards for your robust commitment and partnership with the national government as we altogether implement these programs down to the grassroots. I know and acknowledge that without your support, we would have not surmounted the past two years of this pandemic. Kaya nais kong ipaabot sa inyo ang aking taos-pusong pasasalamat," President Duterte said.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the winners have demonstrated synergy with the government's implementation of various programs. He said that the rest of the LGUs can learn from the winners and implore them to emulate their victory.
"The victory of today's winners are founded on their cooperation and support to these programs which have changed the landscape of the country's COVID-19 response. Pagbati sa inyong tagumpay at hangad namin na kayo ay pamarisan ng iba pang mga LGU sa bansa," Año said.
He said that the winners for best performing LGUs in support of 'Bayanihan Bakunahan' determined by the Department of Health (DOH) are categorized according to the percentage of accomplishments for 2nd doses, A2 doses, and total doses administered.
For the ‘2nd Doses Accomplishment’ category, Zamboanga City was hailed 1st placer followed by Agusan Del Sur and Taguig City while under the ‘A2 Doses’ category, Ilocos Norte was the top-performing province followed by Ilocos Norte and Pampanga.
Meanwhile, Nueva Ecija was 1st placer for the ‘Total Doses Administered’ category followed by Cavite and Bulacan.
"Vaccination is our main weapon against COVID-19 and to have the full commitment and support of the LGUs in this life-saving government initiative is an essential ingredient in public health protection. Congratulations to the winning LGUs at salamat sa inyong patuloy na paghahatid ng mga bakuna sa bawat Pilipino," Año said.
VaxcertPH victory
Año said that as more Filipinos are vaccinated, millions also are able to register for the VaxCertPH with the Cities of Marikina, Iloilo, and Davao hailed as best performing LGUs under the Highly Urbanized City (HUC) category for Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, respectively.
He said that for the Component City/Independent Component City (CC/ICC) category, Antipolo City, Rizal is the winner for Luzon; Roxas City, Capiz for Visayas; and Malaybalay City, Bukidnon for Mindanao.
For the Municipality category, San Simon, Pampanga bagged the citation for Luzon; Caluya, Antique for Visayas; and Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon for Mindanao.
Winners were chosen using the percentage of line list submission, and the percentage of closed requests and were collated by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).
Safety Seal Certification
Meanwhile, DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan E. Malaya said winners for the Safety Seal Certification Program were categorized depending on the issuing authority either LGU-issued or DILG-issued.
For the LGU-issued Safety Seals, Malaya said that Quezon City led the winners under the HUC category with 5,800 Safety Seals granted to establishments followed by Makati City with 3,538 Seals and Pasay City with 2,181.
Dasmariñas City, Cavite issued 500 Seals to get 1st place for the CC/ICC followed by Bacoor City, Cavite with 324 Seals, and Santa Rosa City, Laguna with 281.
For the Municipality category, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya was hailed the winner with 807 Safety Seals issued followed by Santa Niña, Cagayan with 541 Seals, and Naujan, Oriental Mindoro with 529 Seals.
On the other hand, DILG-Manila City bagged 1st place for the DILG-issued Safety Seals under the HUC category with 557 followed by DILG-Zamboanga City with 317, and 247 for DILG-Quezon City.
With 284 Safety Seals issued, DILG-San Carlos City, Pangasinan led the CC/ICC category followed by Candon City, Ilocos Sur with 272 and 231 for DILG-Ormoc.
It's an all-Ilocos Sur list of winners for the Municipality category with DILG-Santiago taking home the 1st place with 289 Safety Seals issued closely followed by DILG-Narvacan with 258 and DILG-Magsingal with 208.
The Safety Seal program awards public and private establishments or buildings with a Safety Seal indicating that a particular building or establishment is compliant with health protocols against COVID-19. (DILG)
