Bacolod: This highly-urbanized city and three component cities in Negros Occidental have been elevated to the Hall of Fame during the 2024 Population and Development (PopDev) Awards of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD) 6 (Western Visayas) at the SMX Convention Center here Tuesday. Bacolod, Cadiz, Sagay, and Talisay were recognized for their 'exemplary performance in the localization of PopDev strategies and for having been recognized as Most Outstanding Local Population Office for three consecutive years from 2022-2024.'
According to Philippines News Agency, CPD-6 Director Harold Alfred Marshall stated that the awardees have satisfactorily met the criteria set in the localization of PopDev strategies and showed outstanding performance in promoting and sustaining PopDev programs and innovations in their respective local government units (LGUs). Marshall noted the difficulty in maintaining performance due to the evolving nature of the program, commending the cities for their efforts.
Marshall praised the awardees for advancing and implementing the key strategic actions of the Philippine Population and Development Plan of Action 2023-2028. The four cities in Negros Occidental are among the eight Hall of Fame awardees in Western Visayas, alongside Capiz province and its municipalities Maayon and Pontevedra, as well as Malay town in Aklan.
For 2024, there are 23 recipients of the CPD-6 PopDev Awards, including those from the Negros Island Region - Negros Occidental province, component cities of Himamaylan, Kabankalan, and Sipalay, and the municipality of Cauayan. The awards recognize LGUs with fully devolved population programs that they manage independently.
Marshall emphasized the continued provision of technical assistance and funding support to LGUs in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. This support aims to address concerns on various indicators, such as adolescent pregnancy, nutrition, maternal mortality, and infant mortality.
