Teen centers, reading classes put Iloilo in Galing Pook race
By Mariela Angella Oladive
ILOILO CITY — Two programs of the Iloilo Provincial Government have advanced to the on-site validation stage of the 2026 Galing Pook Awards, the national search for innovative local governance programs.
The initiatives are Tib-ong Kabataan: Total Adolescent and Youth Health Development for MoRProGRes Iloilo and BES BASA: Proof of Concept (POC) Localization. They focus on adolescent health and foundational learning, respectively.
Tib-ong Kabataan was among 33 finalists selected from more than 300 entries nationwide.
The Galing Pook validation committee, led by Marco Alfino “Kiko” V. Miranda, visited Iloilo on Sept. 25 to assess the program’s implementation and impact.
The committee visited the Balay Minerva Teen Center at Iloilo National High School, the Tigbauan Adolescent-Friendly Health Facility, and the Aleosan District Hospital Adolescent-Friendly Health Facility.
It also observed the program at Dueñas General Comprehensive High School and the Domina Teen Center in Dueñas.
The program provides accessible, youth-friendly, and community-based health services. It also engages schools, families, health workers, and other sectors in supporting young people.
Meanwhile, BES BASA: POC Localization underwent on-site evaluation over the weekend.
The beginning-reading intervention is part of Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.’s Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES Probins) education reform program.
It brings together the Provincial Government, the Department of Education (DepEd)-Iloilo, local governments, school leaders, teachers, and other partners to address gaps in early literacy.
The POC model was implemented in 2024 in 11 municipalities — Guimbal, Igbaras, Leganes, Pavia, Maasin, Cabatuan, Mina, Sara, Lemery, Batad, and Barotac Viejo.
BES BASA was piloted in six towns: Carles, Janiuay, Lambunao, San Miguel, Oton, and Dingle.
The intervention includes teacher training, instructional materials and learner worksheets, and pre- and post-assessments to measure progress.
According to the provincial government, the program increased the reading proficiency of Grade 3 learners from 30% to 90% after one year of implementation.
“The twin validations give Iloilo an opportunity to demonstrate how people-centered and evidence-based governance can produce measurable results in two critical areas including youth well-being and children’s foundational learning,” the provincial government said in a statement.
The literacy push comes against a stark national backdrop. The Philippines ranked last in reading comprehension among 79 countries and economies in the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), according to results the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development released in December 2019.
The Galing Pook Awards, first given in 1993, recognizes outstanding local governance programs. Programs are judged on their results, public participation, innovation, sustainability, service efficiency, and potential for replication by other local governments.
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