The city of San Juan bagged multiple recognitions in the recently concluded Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG's) 2024 Urban Governance Exemplar Awards recognizing local government units (LGUs) in the country that displayed outstanding performance in various functionality assessments.
San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora personally received the awards which recognized the city's significant contributions and performance in the following DILG functionality audits and assessments:
• Peace and Order Council (POC) Performance Audit
• Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Audit
• Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) Functionality Audit
• Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking – Violence Against Women and their Children (LCAT-VAWC) Functionality Audit
• Local Government Unit Compliance Assessment (LGU CA) of the Manila Bay Clean-up, Rehabilitation and Preservation (MBCRP) Program
• Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Audit (Top Performing LGU)
The mayor expressed his gratitude to the DILG and vowed to ensure the city government's continuous exemplary performance in implementing its programs and initiatives to improve the lives of residents under "Makabagong San Juan" banner.
Zamora explained he aims to share and implement the city's best practices against illegal drugs and criminality with other LGUs in the National Capital Region (NCR) as he underscored the importance of proper coordination between local governments and the national government in maintaining peace and order in the region.
San Juan City was previously recognized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) as the first city in Metro Manila with 100 percent of its barangays declared as drug-cleared.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) also cited the city for having the lowest crime rate among other cities in Metro Manila.
Zamora stressed that the success of San Juan City in terms of fighting illegal drugs and criminality is the fruit of the partnership among the city government, its residents, and the national government.
He also noted that the city provides assistance to its people who use drugs (PWUDS) by providing them.