Multiple awards bestowed on QC-LGU and Mayor Belmonte

Mayor Belmonte receives award from Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and Atty Arnel Mateo of PCCI QC

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) named Mayor Joy Belmonte as Most Outstanding Business Friendly mayor for her successful BizEasy project whose digitalized processes helped businessmen with faster, efficient, and corruption-free City Hall transactions.

Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion and new PCCI-QC President Atty Arnel Mateo gave the award to Belmonte in a recent turnover ceremony where she stood as guest speaker.

In another development, the RP-Mission, and Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD Foundation Inc.) an independent and non-commissioned survey group, granted to Belmonte its first “Outstanding Public Servant for the year 2023 award”.  In its Boses ng Bayan-Annual Report 2023, the group gave Belmonte a 91.20 percent performance rating and named her as “Top 1 Mayor in Metro Manila”.

Mayor Belmonte with officers of RP Mission Foundation inc.

Other QC-LGU projects, Grow QC and Joy of Urban Farming also received citations. First was the “Urban Governance Exemplar para sa Hapag program award” from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), followed by the “Agribusiness and marketing Assistance Service Recognition” from the Dept of Agriculture (DA). From the academe side, QC University lauded these projects’ valuable help for its Center for Urban Agriculture and Innovation.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also bestowed on Belmonte the “Gawad Tanggol Karapatan Award “for her advocacy to protect and support projects that prioritize human rights of every QCitizen. The CHR cited Belmonte’s commitment to protect women, youth, gender fairness and equal rights of all persons.

Mayor Belmonte speaking before UNEP conference in Paris France

In 2023, the QC-LGU and Mayor Belmonte received more than 80 awards from international, domestic groups and government agencies for its outstanding accomplishments and good governance.

Foremost was the “2023 Champion of the Earth for Policy Leadership award” from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for her leadership and effective climate actions to eliminate plastic pollution in her city.

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen said, “For her efforts to transform Quezon City into an environmental trailblazer, Belmonte was given one of UN’s highest environmental honors”. Belmonte is the first Filipino elected official to receive such Champions of the Earth recognition from the world body.  For her part, Belmonte said, “These victories, I dedicate and share with all our QCitizens, and rest assured of our continue thrusts on good governance towards a more progressive and smarter city”.

Mayor Belmonte among 2023 UN champions of the Earth

For the third straight year, the QC-LGU received an ‘unqualified opinion’, the highest audit rating from the Commission on Audit (COA) on its 2022 annual audit report.

COA gives an “unmodified opinion” to an institution when its auditor concludes all the financial statements are prepared in accordance with an applicable financial framework.

Mayor Belmonte from the start has initiated a clean, honest and zero corruption leadership. “The city’s third unqualified opinion from COA is just proof of our continuous honest management and being prudent in the use of peoples’ funds”, she said.