The city of Valenzuela was among the ten local government units (LGUs) to be conferred the Galing Pook award for Outstanding Local Governance Programs for 2012, in a ceremony held yesterday, March 18, 2013 at Land Bank Plaza in Malate, Manila.

The Galing Pook is a one-of-a-kind program that recognizes innovation and excellence in local governance. Started in 1993 through the joint efforts of the Local Government Academy-Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and other advocates of good governance from sectors like the academe, civil society and the government, it aims to promote excellence in local governance by being a resource of the best government practices at the local level.

For Valenzuela City, the 3S in Public Service or the "Simple Speed and Service Excellence in Public Service" Program was extolled as its implementation allowed the city to increase its revenues. The 3S program aims to bring graft and corruption to a zero level, change the employer-employee culture in the city government, simplify and streamline the city’s business transactions, and engaging the public in giving insight on governance.

With this approach in mind procedures for getting business permits were integrated and reduced from eleven steps into three and licenses were released in a record time of no more than 20 minutes. Rounded by well-trained staff, minimizing the layers of management and making operations more flexible made the system more responsive and made the personnel more accountable for their decisions.

The 3S program’s implementation led to an increase in the city’s resources which in turn boosted the local government’s capacity to carry out programs that benefit its residents. Such undertakings cater to improved infrastructure, enhanced peace and order, economic and social services, comprehensive programs in education and investments in the healthcare system.

Other recipients of Galing Pook include the Province of Sarangani, the municipality of Loboc, the city of Mandaluyong, the Barangay of Poblacion, Tupi in South Cotabato, the city of Iloilo, the city of Dumaguete, the city of Muntinlupa, and the city of San Jose.

The 2012 Galing Pook features best practices in education, tourism, government services, special education, health, community building, festivals, waste management and entrepreneurship.

Bestowing distinction to a number of LGUs for two decades, the 2012 Galing Pook also awarded for the first time the Jesse Robredo Leadership Award to Sarangani Province governor Miguel Rene A. Dominguez. The Robredo award is an honour given to recognize an incumbent local chief executive whose LGU has a Seal of Good Housekeeping (transparent and accountable) and is a Galing Pook Awardee.