United Nations (UN) Honors Mandaluyong’s Project TEACH

Philippines is set to receive the United Nations Public Service Award via the City of Mandaluyong’s Project TEACH (Therapy, Education and Assimilation of Children with Handicap) on June 23 during the UN Public Service Day and General Assembly pursuant to its Resolution 57/277.

In a letter sent to Mandaluyong City Mayor Benhur Abalos, the United Nations (Division for Public Administration and Development Management) cited the city’s “outstanding achievement that has demonstrated its excellence in serving the public interest” through the Project TEACH initiative extending free services to children with special needs from underprivileged families in the city.

The UNPSA is said to be the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service any local government in countries worldwide can attain for its innovative programs.

Mandaluyong emerged second place winner in the category Improving the Delivery of Public Service (Asia Pacific Region) after three stages of rigid screening wherein a reported 30,000 programs from all over the world have been reviewed for this year’s awards.

According to Mayor Benhur Abalos, “By showcasing and sharing our best practices, particularly Project TEACH, it will be replicated throughout the country to maximize the potentials of children with special needs, for after all, the future of our nation rests on our youth of today.”

Twenty one other public institutions are award recipients, grouped into five regions: Africa; Asia Pacific; Europe & North America; Latin America & the Caribbean, and Western Asia, in the four categories: Improving the Delivery of Public Services; Fostering Participation in Policy Making Decisions through Innovative Mechanisms; Promoting Whole of Government Approaches in the Information Age; and Promoting Gender Responsive Delivery of Public Services.

The event will take place in Medellin, Columbia on June 23-26 with the theme “Innovating Public Service Delivery to Implement the Post-2015 Development Agenda.” This global gathering is expected to be attended by thousands of delegates, among whom are public servants, scholars, ministers and practitioners from different institutions worldwide.

Mayor Abalos was a guest speaker and lone Philippine representative at the 2014 United Nations Public Service Forum which took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea on June 22 to 26, 2014 and was attended by over 1,800 participants from more than 100 countries. He has been much admired for the many innovative projects that have transformed Mandaluyong City from a sleepy town to the country’s “Tiger City”.

The United Nations Public Service Forum Day and Awards Ceremony is being organized every year since 2003 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs through its Division for Public Administration and Development Management to promote global attention and discussion on the importance of governance and public administration in the implementation of Millennium Development Goals and where innovators from the entire world meet to present and discuss their awarded initiatives to improve the quality of life of the citizens.