The Mandaluyong City government and the municipal government of Boac, Marinduque signed a sisterhood agreement led by Mandaluyong City Mayor Menchie Abalos and Boac, Marinduque Mayor Armi Carrion on Tuesday, Feb. 22.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing was held at the Mandaluyong City Hall Executive Building Atrium and was attended by officials from the two local government units (LGUs).
Mandaluyong's Public Information Office (PIO) said that around 80 delegates from Boac, composed of councilors, department heads, and barangay captains, made the trip to Mandaluyong to participate in the event.
Abalos and select city officials visited Boac a few weeks earlier and the municipal council expressed its intention to enter into a sisterhood agreement with Mandaluyong City.
The municipal council of Boac drafted Resolution No. 2022-29 authorizing Carrion to enter into a sisterhood agreement with Mandaluyong in pursuance of inter-governmental cooperation and development. Likewise, the city council of Mandaluyong drafted Resolution No. 3057, Series of 2022, recommending Abalos to sign and enter into a sisterhood agreement with the municipal government of Boac.
"While Mandaluyong is filled with tall buildings, Boac has clean rivers and green mountains where you can view a sea of clouds. We hope Mandaleños can visit Boac and experience our culture and natural landmarks," Carrion said as she invited Mandaleños to visit her province.
Meanwhile, Abalos and members of the city council handed over copies of Mandaluyong City's Book of Ordinances along with the key to the city to Carrion.
"We'd like to share these laws which you can draw inspiration from, especially our Code of Parental Responsibility. Here in Mandaluyong, the parents are penalized when a child is at fault because we believe that parents are the foundation of a family and they have the full responsibility over their children," Abalos said.
On Nov. 15 of last year, Mandaluyong received its ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Certification for excellent public service amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Abalos received the city’s ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System Certified certification from NQA Philippines CEO and General Manager Rannie Bernardino.
She also thanked the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) which helped the LGU earn the certification.
An ISO certification certifies that a management system, manufacturing process, service, or documentation procedure have all the requirements for standardization and quality assurance.
On Sept. 20, 2021, Mandaluyong City was also recognized by the People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) for its efforts in helping indigent families and creating programs for the benefit of children with special needs by awarding it the 2021 National Exemplar-People Program of the Year (PPY) in Public Sector for its Project TEACH (Therapy, Education and Assimilation of Children with Handicap) program.
PMAP explained that the PPY Award in Public Sector is given to an organization or institution that has implemented a program that is pioneering, innovative, and relevant to the time and needs of its beneficiaries.
The program must have also provided significant contribution to the enhancement of employer-employee relations.
The LGU said that Project TEACH is the community-based rehabilitation program of the city aiming to extend free services and intervention to children with special needs of indigent families.