Mandaluyong, PH hailed by UN for public service initiative

A volunteer teacher attends to an indigent special child in Mandaluyong City’s award- winning Project Teach. RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER

The Philippines is set to receive an award from the United Nations (UN) as one of the best performing countries in innovating public service projects to advance new development agenda.

The Philippines ranked second for Mandaluyong City’s initiative on implementing “therapy, education, assimilation of children with handicap,” which aims to provide quality education to the youth.

READ: Free school, therapy for poor kids with special needs wins UN award

Joining the Philippines in second place are Brazil, Ethiopia, France, Indonesia, Latvia, and Thailand, while Azerbaijan, Ecuador, Estonia, India, Kenya, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates share the first place.

A total of 22 institutions from 18 countries will receive the recognition on Friday in Medellin, Colombia.

According to Wu Hongbo, undersecretary-general of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the award serves as a platform to exhibit some of the “best examples of effective public governance.”

“The awards highlight many innovations that help to provide better services to citizens everywhere in the world and improve people’s lives,” Wu said.

The body recognizes several initiatives worldwide such as India’s efforts to improve access to sanitary toilets, monitoring and providing temporary settlements for displaced people in Turkey, and creating housing units in Ethiopia. Angeli Mae S. Cantillana, INQUIRER.net trainee/IDL