CAMIGUIN, Philippines – It’s not just a celebration of bountiful lanzones harvest this year, but a harvest of national awards as well.
The island-province celebrates the 40th Lanzones Festival, one of the island’s major attractions, and its wins in the national competition besting other local government units with best practices.
Camiguin is named the fourth Most Competitive Province in the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index Awards out of the 84 provinces in the country. The distinction, now its seventh year, was bestowed on deserving LGUs by the Department of Trade and Industry through its Competitiveness Bureau.
Meanwhile, Camiguin’s capital town Mambajao bagged the Most Competitive Municipality award for the 3rd to 6th Class Municipalities Category, the Best in Economic Dynamism, and the 3rd place in Government Efficiency for the same category.
“We worked hard for these (awards) to make Camiguin a better place for us and for our guests,” Gov. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo said.
Awards are given to LGUs in four categories, namely, 3rd to 6th class municipalities, 1st to 2nd class municipalities, component cities, and highly urbanized cities.
Romualdo said it has always been the local government’s vision to develop the island-province with sustainability and environmental consciousness in mind. To realize this, Camiguin has to take measures that would ensure food and power security for the island, he said.
The provincial government is now working to implement a province-wide agriculture program that would encourage Camiguinons to plant crops so they would not have to depend on the mainland Mindanao for their food requirement.
On its drive for a more fossil fuel-free energy, Romualdo said they will be putting up solar panels and windmills in the island.
The province will also be regulating its water supply starting next year as a way to prevent a water crisis that is being experienced in Metro Manila at present.
“We will not wait for the time that we will suffer because of water shortage. We have to act now,” the governor told the crowd at the coronation of “Mutya sa Buhawanan” beauty pageant held at the provincial capitol grounds Friday night.
With these future programs in the pipeline, Romualdo said it wouldn’t be a surprise if Camiguin will reap more awards.
“We will just keep on working hard for the good of Camiguin, for the good of its people,” he added.
The Lanzones Festival was established to celebrate the bounty of the lanzones fruit, considered the sweetest in the country. Among the highlights of the festivities is the street dancing competition held in Mambajao Saturday.(davaotoday.com)
