Officials from the municipality of Quezon, Bukidnon and San Fernando, La Union visited Pasig City to learn about the local government’s best practices.
For their visit last Monday, May 15, the Quezon, Bukidnon delegation brought 37 of their municipal and barangay officials led by Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III.
The delegation of the municipal government of Quezon, Bukidnon during their benchmarking visit in Pasig City on May 15, 2023. (Pasig PIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
They were welcomed by Vice Mayor Robert "Dodot" Jaworski Jr. and Councilors Angelu De Leon and Volta Delos Santos, all of whom shared their knowledge and experiences as public officials in Pasig.
In their welcome remarks, Jaworski, De Leon, and Delos Santos expressed their appreciation for being chosen as the municipal government's benchmarking partner. They also hoped that the delegation would be able to learn and adopt new methods and ideas that would benefit and help their municipality.
Discussed were the five priority thrusts of the Sotto administration: good governance, diligent service, universal healthcare, inclusive education, and affordable housing, as well as the Liga ng mga Barangay system in Pasig.
Quezon, Bukidnon Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III with Pasig Vice Mayor Dodot Jaworski and City Councilors Angelu de Leon and Volta Delos Santos. (Pasig PIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
To witness the legislative proceedings of the city, the delegation visited and met with the Pasig City Council during the council's regular meeting at the session hall.
The delegation also stopped by the Ugnayan ng Pasig (UsaP) Office to know more about the city government's implementation of its freedom of information (FOI) policies and programs.
Meanwhile, the delegation from San Fernando, La Union, headed by Provincial Administrator Agnes Grace Cargamento, conducted their benchmarking activity in Pasig on Thursday, May 18.
Delegation from San Fernando, La Union during their benchmarking activity in Pasig City on May 18, 2023. (Pasig PIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The activity mainly focused on the Pasig government's best practices in financial management which was presented by the Budget Office.
The delegation also visited the city's Mega Dialysis Center and the Maybunga Rainforest Park to observe the city's healthcare provision for its citizens and its efforts in environmental conservation respectively.
Organized by the Cultural Affairs and Tourism Office of Pasig City, benchmarking visits are frequently done to grant opportunities for the local government to showcase and share its best programs, policies, and systems to others across the country.
Aside from an exchange of ideas, the visits also enable the local government to gain outsider perspectives of their practices in order to determine further rooms for improvement, along with insights to new innovations and methods of governance that can be considered and implemented within their jurisdiction.