Unopposed Ifugao mayor wins nat’l Gawad Parangal Award

LAMUT, Ifugao -- Mayor Mariano Buyagawan Jr., who ran unopposed  for the same position in the May 13 elections  added another feather to his cap by winning the 2019 National Gawad Parangal Award as the Most Outstanding Mayor of the Philippines for 4th to 6th class municipalities.

The award was conferred by the Association of Social Welfare and Development Offices of the Philippines (ALSWADOP) during the 23rd National Social Welfare and Development Forum and General Assembly at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City recently.

Buyagawon assumed as mayor in 2010 with the slogan “Umuna Ti Lamut” (Lamut First) which he maintained into his third and last term being unopposed in the May 13, 2019 elections.

Driven by his dedication, hard work and righteousness, he ran to serve the public from his private practice as a lawyer. Slowly he transformed this 4th class municipality into a booming economic hub of Ifugao.

His simplicity in managing the local government unit coupled with the support of his people and officials made the town excel in many areas of governance   resulting to    various national, regional and provincial awards.  

Among the awards include Lamut ranked as the Second Most Competitive LGU for 3rd-6th Class Municipalities of the Philippines by the DTI in 2018, Hall of Famer Award for the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) by the DILG and the Red Orchid Award by the DOH in 2017.

The municipality under his helm won the Seal of Good Housekeeping since 2011 and became a Hall of Famer for passing the SGLG from 2015-2017, ranked second in the competitiveness score on the four pillars of Economic Dynamism, Government Efficiency, Infrastructure and Resiliency and the Red Orchid Award from 2015-2018 by passing all the requirements for a smoke -free municipality.

Other awards  include the Seal of Child Friendly Local Governance by the DSWD-CAR in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2017 and 2018; the Best Clean and Green Implementation in the province for 2018 and Environmental Award practicing and sustaining Best Practices under Republic Act  90003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law;Sandugo Award by the DOH in 2017-2018 for regular mass blood donation program; , Fire Olympic Award in the region in 2017 and the Gawad Gabay Award for Galling sa Paggabay sa mga Bata in 2017.  He is also a Lingkod Bayan Awardee in the regional level in 2018.

 Buyagawan attributed   his successes to the strong support and solidarity of all the stakeholders for participatory governance. -- JDP/DBC- PIA CAR, Ifugao