Pandan SB is regional winner in 2025 Local Legislative Award

After narrowly missing out on first place in the last assessment, the Sangguniang Bayan of Pandan finally became a regional winner this time in the 2025 edition of the Local Legislative Award (LLA).

Results of the recently concluded regional validation released by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office showed Pandan as the winner among 4^th to 6^th class municipalities in Bicol.

The Pandan SB reportedly scored a total of 97.5 points in the regional assessment, comfortably ahead of 1^st runner-up Pamplona, Camarines Sur with 89 points, while Barcelona, Sorsogon was 2^nd runner-up.

Joining Pandan at the national level are regional winners Naga City for Independent Component Cities, Tabaco City for the city category, and Polangui, Albay for 1^st to 3^rd class municipalities.

The northern town’s municipal council actually ended up tied with Baras in the provincial level evaluation with identical 98.5 points and a reassessment was done as the LLA guidelines require that only the number one legislative body at that level would join the regional evaluation.

Vice Mayor Eric T. Rodriguez told the Tribune that Pandan’s advantages were that it had successfully enacted the town’s revised Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and had passed more legislative measures than Baras.

During its Nov. 4, 2025 visit, the Regional Awards Committee (RAC) highlighted Pandan’s strong legislative initiatives and commitment to addressing local needs, though recommendations were made to further improve post-legislative monitoring and documentation systems.

SB Secretary Nenebeth Rima specifically cited as one of the best practices of the council the initiative of former Councilor Michael F. Tidon and other proponents in submitting for funding with the Climate Change Commission (CCC) two full projects addressing climate vulnerability.

Last July 18 during its 23^rd Board Meeting, the People’s Survival Fund (PSF) Board, chaired by the Department of Finance, approved the grant of P86.162 million for Pandan’s project entitled “Enhancing People’s Adaptive Capacity through Climate-Smart Agriculture, Integrated Water Management, and Sustainable Aquatic Food Systems for Resilient Communities.”

Its first key component is the Mangrove EcoShield Program that will reforest 10 hectares of forest in six barangay beneficiaries, along with a mangrove nursery that will be established in Barangay Balagñonan to support the livelihood of around 519 individuals from 10 fisherfolk associations and five multi-sectoral associations.

The second is the Climate-Smart Infrastructure Support for Agriculture (CSISA) which seeks to reduce reliance on external vegetable sources and provide support to around 774 members of 15 farmers associations, and five multi-sectoral associations hit by drought.

It will provide climate-smart farm infrastructure that includes solar irrigation, gravity-fed water systems, and greenhouses.

Thanks to the persistence of former Councilor Tidon, Pandan is the only local government unit from Catanduanes and the Bicol region to secure a grant from the PSF, giving it a decisive edge in the LLA regional evaluation, Vice Mayor Rodriguez said.

After placing 2nd in the 2022 elections, Tidon landed at 10th in the May 2025 polls and joined Wilfredo Santelices as the only incumbents to lose their posts in the Pandan SB.

Launched by the Philippine Councilors League (PCL), in partnership with Department of the Interior and Local Government, the honors Sanggunians that demonstrate outstanding leadership in crafting legislative measures that strengthen the foundation of meaningful local administration and development.

The assessment covers their performance for the period July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2025 and has the following criteria: Responsiveness of Legislative Agenda (25%), Availability of Legislative Documents (15%), Effectiveness of Performance of the Sanggunian (20%), Efficiency of Performance of the Sanggunian (20%), Legislative Citations and Awards (3%), Capacity Development for Legislators and Staff (4%), and Innovation (3%).

During the regional awarding ceremony this Dec. 5, 2025 coinciding with the year-end assembly of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines (VMLP) in Bicol, the municipal council of Pandan will receive a plaque and P15,000 cash for its feat.

The awarding of provincial winners is on Dec. 11-13 during the PCL Catanduanes year-end assembly at The Lumber Hotel, with 1^st placers Pandan and Baras getting a plaque plus P10,000 and the runners-up P7,000 and P5,000, respectively, in the 4^th to 6^th class category.

The ratings of the other towns’ councils are as follows: San Miguel, 92.50 (3^rd); Bato, 89 (4^th); Panganiban, 84 (5^th); Bagamanoc, 83 (6^th); Viga, 77.5 (7^th); and Gigmoto, 75.5 (8^th).

In the 1^st to 3^rd class category, San Andres took first place with 96.5 points, followed by Virac with 95.5 and Caramoran with 71.