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Who We Are
Why Galing Pook Matters
At the heart of every community's development is a local government unit that responds to the people's needs. In this, Galing Pook provides support, tools, and resources to LGUs to enable them to build adaptive solutions to challenges in their communities.
Galing Pook is the leading resource institution that promotes innovation, sustainability, citizen empowerment, and excellence at the local level.
Through Galing Pook programs, local chief executives and their teams are able to upgrade their knowledge and exchange best practices that can foster development in their own localities.
What We Stand For
Vision
The leading resource institution that promotes innovation, sustainability, citizen empowerment and excellence in local governance
Mission
  • Promote excellence in local governance through recognition, sharing of information and support of efforts to replicate best practices at the local level
  • Encourage partnership among civil society organizations, private sector, and government agencies at the local, national and global levels to improve the quality of life
Goals
  • Search, select, and recognize outstanding programs of local government units
  • Help in the capacity building of local government units
  • Facilitate the replication of winning programs
  • Act as resource institution on innovative local government programs
Values
  • Primacy of local governance for the promotion of sustainable development
  • Passion, integrity, competence, transparency and accountability
  • Willingness to learn and to share learning to others
  • Premium on innovation
Board of Trustees
Mel Senen Sarmiento
Chairperson
Former Secretary, Department of the Interior and Local Government
Maria Fe Villamejor-Mendoza
Vice-Chairperson
Professor Emeritus, UP NCPAG
Ador Torneo
Corporate Secretary
Director, De La Salle University - Jesse M. Robredo Institute of Governance
Ma. Gladys Sta. Rita
Treasurer
Former Provincial Administrator, Province of Bulacan
Ramon Isberto
Compliance Officer
Consultant, Mediaquest
Alex Brillantes Jr.
Trustee
Professor Emeritus, UP NCPAG
Fernando Mesa
Trustee
Former Mayor, Alabat, Quezon
Kiko Miranda
Trustee
Executive Director, Fundacion Climaco
Aniceto Sobrepeña
Trustee
President, Metrobank Foundation
Georgina Ann Hernandez Yang
Georgina Ann Hernandez Yang is the Executive Director of Galing Pook Foundation since April 2021.
Prior to this appointment, she served as the Director and National Program Manager of the DSWD's Sustainable Livelihood Program and Head of the Anti-Poverty Programs of the Office of the Vice President.
She worked in the academe as a Research Program Manager at the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, and a member of the Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Schools faculty.
She graduated with a degree of AB Interdisciplinary Studies (2007) and MS in Social Development from the Ateneo de Manila University (2012). She completed her Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration (2019) at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
History
Galing Pook traces its beginnings in 1993 when the first Gantimpalang Panglingkod Pook was held. The Awards Program was a joint initiative of the Local Government Academy–Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Ford Foundation, and other individual advocates of good governance from the academe, civil society and the government.
The Asian Institute of Management administered the awards program until 2000. Earlier in 1998, the Galing Pook Foundation was formally established as a private awards-giving body to sustain the Awards program.
In its almost 30 years of existence, Galing Pook has become a leading resource institution continuously promoting innovation and excellence in local governance. It proactively searches and recognizes best local government practices and facilitates their adoption in more communities in the country.
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47 Malinis corner Mahusay Streets, UP Village, Quezon City, Philippines.
secretariat [at] galingpook.org | +632 89264136
Office Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:00AM to 7:00PM