OLONGAPO CITY AND THE KONRAD ADENAUER MEDAL OF EXCELLENCE

In connection with the Konrad Adenauer Medal of Excellence (KAME) Award Program, Manuel Gotis, director of Bureau of Local Government Development (BLGD), last September 14, 2010, assessed Olongapo City’s achievements and projects for the past three years.

According to the Local Government Development Foundation (LOGODEF), “KAME is an award given for the best managed local governments in the Philippines and it is given every three (3) years or during a term of a local government official in honor of Konrad Adenauer, a onetime mayor of Cologne, Germany from 1921 to 1933 and the First Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, who epitomized Christian democracy, social justice and equality amongst individuals and the society at large”.

Olongapo City, under the administration of Mayor “Bong” Gordon Jr. maintained its consistent performance and has proved itself outstanding in public service, constructive leadership and public management innovations. Assisted by Stephanie Navarro, Admin Aid of Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Marivic Nierras, Officer in Charge in City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), Director Gotis inspected five (5) areas in Olongapo City to validate the city’s accomplishments. These includes Gordon College, Olongapo City Convention Center (OCCC), Olongapo Museum, Center for Women and Youth Center. Gotis inspected each facility in terms of its social infrastructures and programs.

According to Araceli San Jose, City DILG Director, said there were three (3) cities nominated and scheduled for KAME Award Program assessment. These are Pampanga’s San Fernando City, Negros Oriental’s Bayawan City, and Olongapo City. Accountability, Responsiveness, Management Innovation, Public and Private Partnership, Local Government Citizen Participation, Networking, Human Resources, Decentralization and Empowerment were the basis of the validation that Gotis used to assess the cities.

According to LOGODEF, “KAME is the only foreign award for local governments in the Philippines which has been duly recognized by the Senate of the Philippines in its Resolution No. 681. It makes a contribution to the creation of an international order that enables every country to develop in freedom and under its own responsibility”.