• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. commended the invaluable performance of the 126 local government units (LGUs), including Victorias City in Negros Occidental, that were hailed as SubayBAYANI Awardees for their contribution to strengthening participatory governance and accountability in carrying out infrastructure projects at the local level.
Victorias City earned national distinction as one of the Top 3 Overall Performers – City Category at the 2025 SubayBAYANI Awards on Wednesday, with Negros Occidental Third District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez joining Mayor Abelardo Bantug III in receiving the recognition at the Fiesta Pavilion of The Manila Hotel on November 26, from President Marcos.
Among the notable initiatives cited was the Victorias City Command and Evacuation Center, a project that began during Benitez’s tenure as mayor and continues to serve as a key infrastructure asset for the city.
The Negros Occidental provincial government was also recognized for its outstanding performance in promoting excellent infrastructure governance and meaningful change, accelerating the growth of resilient communities and building the foundation of a “Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag ng Buhay for all Filipinos.”
The award was received by Provincial Engineer Ernie Mapa, in behalf of the Negros Occidental provincial government.
Earlier this month, Victorias was also named a City Exemplar in the regional awards and received the Vision and Motion Award, underscoring the city’s progress in local infrastructure oversight and community-engaged project monitoring.
Launched in 2021, the SubayBAYANI Awards recognize local government units that excel in participatory governance, transparency, citizen engagement, and digital monitoring of infrastructure projects through the Subaybayan ang Proyektong Bayan portal.
The program underscores the national commitment to strengthen local infrastructure governance and corruption-free public service.*
