The
municipality of Angono in Rizal province is home to two
National Artists: painter Botong Francisco and musician
Lucio San Pedro. But save for this reputation, it had little
else. The municipal government did not have a clear goal,
traffic congestion was bad, there was no transport terminal,
flash flooding was not uncommon, the surroundings were dirty,
and worse of all, the people seemed like they couldn’t
care less. Yet a dramatic transformation took place between
1999 and 2002. Angono was consistently bagging awards for
being the cleanest and greenest in the province. In 2001,
it was finally elevated to a first-class municipality.
Angono’s
road to development started with the basics. With the help
of the people’s organizations, Angono drafted a mission-vision
statement that became its roadmap to development. A massive
information campaign was launched to awaken community spirit
and introduce the “Angono dream”.
After
it identified tourism promotion as its centerpiece program,
Angono embarked on a physical makeover. Road obstructions
were removed to decongest traffic, the public transport
system was organized, the public market was renovated, and
volunteers were enlisted to keep the main roads clean. Volunteerism
played a key role to the program’s success. Aside
from assisting in the government’s clean-up activities,
volunteers also helped in traffic management, tax campaigns,
and security surveillance.
The
town’s physical rehabilitation did a lot to improve
the way of life of the residents of Angono. There are now
parks where people can stroll around and where artworks
are proudly displayed. A Regional High School for the Arts
was established to boost Angono’s status as an artist’s
haven. Social services as well as the peace and order situation
were likewise addressed.
