Sta. Rosa mayor gets ‘Lingkod Bayan’ award

Sta. Rosa City Mayor Arlene Arcillas was among this year’s recipients of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan award.

Arcillas, 42, was nominated by the Rotary Club of Sta. Rosa for her outstanding programs in public office, particularly the computerization of the city’s tax collection system and the city government’s environment projects.

It was during her first term as mayor in 2007 that the city adopted the computerized system of tax collection and mapping of real properties in the city. The advanced system, funded by the World Bank, is now fully operational during Arcillas’ second term.

Arcillas was also recognized for initiating water related activities and ecological sanitation projects in the city.

Sta. Rosa City was the first local government unit (LGU) in the first district of Laguna to adopt a long-term watershed program to preserve the city’s underground water source.

The city also laid down plans to construct flood control facilities to be used especially during typhoons.

Arcillas, in an e-mail statement, said she was very honored to receive the award, which is conferred to “women and men for their outstanding work performance, contribution, and superior accomplishments or for their consistent manifestation of exemplary ethical behavior in the public service.”

The awarding was held Wednesday.

Also a recipient of the Presidential Lingkod Bayan award was Laguna Gov. Jeorge “ER” Ejercito.

Under Arcillas, the city also drafted an environment code with the World Wildlife Fund that became an ordinance last July 10, the seventh anniversary of Sta. Rosa’s city status.

Among its provisions are a ban on smoking in all public places and inside public utility vehicles, the setting up of ecoparks in all villages and restrictions in the use and sale of plastic and non-biodegradable materials.