Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. received the award of the province of Iloilo for winning FIRST PLACE in the 2025 Rafael M. Salas Kaunlarang Pantao Award: Search for the Most Outstanding Local Government Units in Localizing the Population and Development Agenda in Western Visayas given by the Commission on Population and Development VI.
Joining the governor in receiving the award are Vice Gov. Lee Ann Debuque, Provincial Population Office chief Atty. Ruel Von Superio, and the PPO employees.
The awarding was led by Commission on Population and Development VI Regional Director Harold Alfred Marshall, OIC-Population Program Officer IV/ PPO III Roilo Vincent Laguna, and Administrative Officer V Rachel Labordo.
Iloilo will then represent Western Visayas in the national competition.
Other LGUs in Iloilo were also honored by CPD VI. The municipality of Pavia bagged second place in the Municipal Category while the municipality of Dueñas trailed at the third place. Passi City placed second for the City Category.
In his speech, Governor Defensor acknowledged the significance of the data gathered by the Barangay Service Point Officers (BSPOs) in the efficient implementation of government programs and policies.
“Behind an award is not just a plaque or trophy. Behind an award is good work…Concrete results come from data-based implementation. And there is nothing more important than the data gathered by the BSPOs. They are very important barangay functionaries,” he said.
Defensor also recognized the crucial role of data from the grassroots in tailoring government policies to the needs of the community.
Recognizing that the BSPOs work voluntarily, Defensor said he will push for the strengthening of these barangay workers and capacitating them to become skilled enumerators.
“We will make government funds work for BSPOs. We will give them formal and technical training for them to become professional enumerators,” the governor said.
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