President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the national government must learn from and replicate the country’s most effective barangay-level innovations, calling grassroots solutions the “true starting point” of meaningful governance reforms.
Speaking at the 2025 Galing Pook Awards for the Ten Outstanding Barangay Initiatives in Malacañang, President Marcos said this year’s awardees demonstrated approaches that national agencies themselves had not conceived.
“Your projects are beautiful. The new projects you’ve thought of—those aren’t ideas we considered for the national government,” Mr. Marcos said. “This will really come from the barangay,” he added.
From 132 entries across the country, the Galing Pook Foundation recognized 10 barangays for their outstanding programs in environmental rehabilitation, education, disaster preparedness, urban agriculture, community participation, conflict resolution, and social inclusion.
Among the highlighted initiatives were the revival of the Macabalo River in Legazpi City; the “BUSkwela” program in Cagayan de Oro City, which returns out-of-school children to learning spaces; earthquake readiness “Street Camps” in Quezon City; and a solar-powered community system in Santiago City. Mandaluyong City’s “palit-bote-para-sa-tinapay” recycling incentive program and Dagupan City’s community justice garden were also recognized for their creativity and community impact.
Mr. Marcos said such innovations show that barangays often develop practical solutions faster than national agencies because they directly face the needs of residents.
“When government processes are transparent, public trust strengthens. When there is accountability, respect rises,” he said.
“When we prioritize the people, development follows,” the president added.
He urged national agencies to identify grassroots programs that can be institutionalized or scaled nationwide, saying the lessons from the winning barangays should inform broader governance reforms.
“Let us strive to continue to replicate the success of these barangay initiatives on a national scale—learning what works and strengthening the systems that uphold efficiency, participation, and transparency in government,” President Marcos said.
To the awardees and finalists, Mr. Marcos issued a reminder that transformative change begins with small but consistent action.
