BAGUIO CITY – No spotlight, just quiet, relentless work. That is what earned the Provincial Government of Apayao (PGA) four major recognitions during the 74th Founding Anniversary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development – Cordillera Administrative Region (DSWD–CAR) on April 4 at Newtown Plaza Hotel in Baguio City.
Under the Panata Ko Sa Bayan Awards, the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) appeared as a frontrunner in delivering grassroots social welfare programs and earned nods that speak more of commitment than ceremony.
Apayao received the Paglaray Award for championing social welfare legislation and swept First Place in both the Gawad Serbisyong Mapagkalinga and Gawad Serbisyong Masigasig under the provincial category, an achievement no other Cordillera province claimed this year.
The Gawad Serbisyong Matapat also landed in Apayao’s corner, recognizing its consistency in subjecting its systems to quality checks in the name of better service delivery. That made it a regional awardee, once again.
Governor Elias C. Bulut Jr. was represented by his Chief of Staff, Verlie Mae Baldovino, during the awarding. In his message, the governor said the award is not a personal accolade but a tribute to the quiet, tireless work of those often overlooked.
“This is Apayao’s,” the governor said in the acceptance message. “This is every barangay health and social worker who walks muddy trails. Every MSWDO who’s been called at midnight. Every farmer who shared his harvest with a neighbor. Every mayor who kept the lights on in the most difficult months. This is for the people who did not ask for credit but kept showing up anyway.”
Along with Baldovino, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Jocelyn Loyon, Provincial Disability Affairs Officer (PDAO) Gretchen Garcia, and Social Worker Olibeth Vidad were also present during the awarding ceremony.
This is proof that in Apayao, the work speaks when it must for itself. By Jess Christley Marquez
