SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA - The City of San Fernando has firmly solidified its reputation as a powerhouse of grassroots public service and exemplary local administration. On October 1, 2026, the city proudly served as the host for the 2026 edition of the highly anticipated "Pamagbunyi" (Celebration of Praise) awards. Organized by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Pampanga and held at the prestigious Heroes Hall, the grand event perfectly coincided with the nationwide opening of Local Government Month.
A Historic Victory for San Fernando's Barangays
The high-profile gathering brought together top-tier DILG officials, led by DILG Central Luzon Regional Director Araceli San Jose and DILG Pampanga Provincial Director Myra Moral-Soriano. Welcoming them was San Fernando City Mayor Vilma Balle-Caluag, who stood alongside provincial leaders to champion the milestones of Pampanga's communities. The "Pamagbunyi" is an annual reward framework engineered to honor barangays and local officials who demonstrate absolute compliance with institutional laws, transparency mandates, and effective community governance. According to the official report of City Local Government Operations Officer Allan Don Malonzo, the centerpiece of the ceremony was the BEST Barangay (Building Excellence in Service and Transparency for Barangay) awards—the local government equivalent of the highly coveted Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).
In a historic sweep, a total of 23 barangays from San Fernando clinched the BEST Barangay titles across the Regional and Provincial levels for the performance years 2025 and 2026. In her keynote address, Mayor Caluag proudly highlighted that with 20 of its barangays hitting the elite Regional Level target this year, the City of San Fernando officially holds the highest number of award recipients in the entire Province of Pampanga. Mayor Caluag credited this sweeping victory to the relentless, daily hard work of the barangay captains and council members, as well as the outstanding strategic leadership of Malonzo, who was individually honored during the event as the Exemplary Implementor of DILG Barangay Governance Programs.
Dominating Special Institutional Categories
Beyond the primary BEST awards, San Fernando's localized units dominated specialized provincial audits, demonstrating multi-sector efficiency. In the Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards (LTIA) , which recognizes extraordinary local mediation and grassroots justice systems, Barangay Pandaras was named First Runner-Up and Barangay Sto. Niño was Second Runner-Up. In the Barangay Environmental Compliance Audit (BECA) , honoring strict implementation of ecological laws and zero-waste practices, Barangay Malpitic emerged as Champion and Barangay Maimpis was Second Runner-Up. Additionally, the Barangay Information Management System (BIMS) commended barangays that achieved an extraordinary 100% or higher inhabitant encoding rate, including Baliti, Juliana, Pandaras, Sta. Teresita, and Sto. Niño. The dynamic ceremony concluded with strong messages of solidarity, witnessed by Sindalan Punong Barangay and Pampanga Liga ng mga Barangay President Dr. Benjamin Angeles, and City Councilor Reggie "G4" David, alongside municipal mayors from across the province. With dozens of awards safely brought home to its local neighborhoods, San Fernando has effectively set a golden benchmark for what honest, innovative, and completely transparent public service looks like in the modern era.
