Cleanest River to be Chosen in Pakar Awards; Outstanding Towns/Cities to be Feted in LGU Governance Awards

Lingayen - - The cleanest river and riverbank in Pangasinan will be bared during the Pakar Awards while Local Government Units (LGUs) that have been recognized by award-giving bodies because of their outstanding performance will be feted in the LGU Governance Awards.

Both events are slated on May 1 at 10 a.m. at the Bañaga Bridge Area in Bañaga, Bugallon after the Banca Parada (Float Parade) which forms part of Pistay Dayat 2012 under the stewardship of Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr.

Pakar is Pangasinan word for mangrove or bakawan in Filipino.

Provincial Agriculture Officer Dalisay Moya, this year’s Pistay Dayat executive chairman and Pakar committee head, said the contest includes inland rivers like major rivers and its tributaries as well as coastal rivers that drain to the Lingayen Gulf.

Moya said the search aims to see how local government officials and non-government organizations manage or propagate mangroves.

“The criteria for judging involves the physical parameters of the river, foremost of which is its cleanliness; the LGU’s strong legislative agenda for the river; the LGU’s programs or projects on river protection; and sustainability programs,” Moya said.

Specifically, the search involves the brackish bodies of water that are maalat (salty).

One LGU will be declared as winner of the search while two winners will be chosen in the barangay -one under category A and one under category B. 

Moya said category A involves the barangays which are beneficiaries of the provincial government’s river clean-up famously known as ‘Ilog Ko, Bilayen tan Aroen Ko’ led by the Task Force Kalikasan.

Category B are the barangays that have not been recipient of the clean-up.

“The search is still ongoing and the final round of evaluation will be conducted next week,” Moya said as she noted that the nominees will be announced afterwards along with the prizes.   

The Pakar Awards is a joint effort of the Provincial Agriculture Office, Task Force Kalikasan and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. 

The evaluation committee is composed of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Pangasinan State University, National Irrigation Administration, Agno Flood Control System, Philippine National Police and other non-government organizations.

The LGU Governance Awards, on the other hand, honors LGUs (city/municipal/barangay) that have been previously awarded by the Regional Development Council, Department of Interior and Local Government’s Seal of Good Housekeeping and the DENR, among others.