During their benchmarking visit, executives of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) – Calabarzon cited the Mabalacat City government for its best practices in place.

The DILG-Calabarzon team looked into various facets of Mabalacat City governance such as fiscal and resource management, public health and safety, and leadership accountabilities. 

The delegation, which was composed of Don Ayer Abrazaldo, LGMED Chief, Faye Torres LGOO V, SGLG Regional Focal Person, April Marquez, LGOO V, LGRC Focal Person, Alternate Focal SGLG Sara Caliwagan, Information Officer III, and Jorielyn Cubio, Budget Officer, asked how Mabalacat managed its budget and finance during the height of pandemic in 2020 and 2021. 

Mabalacat City mayor Cris Garbo said, “Empowering department heads to take ownership of their respective departments and initiatives is equally important. Leaders must trust their team members and delegate tasks and responsibilities accordingly.”

In his response message, LGCDD Chief Jay-ar T. Beltran said: “We have realized that strong leadership of the local chief executive is crucial in achieving the Seal of Good Local Governance. Leaders must have a clear vision, mission, and goals for the LGU and its constituents.”

Mabalacat City has been visited by various LGUs and government agencies from different parts of the Philippines.