19/08/2026
PLARIDEL BETS ON DIGITAL GOVERNANCE, STRONGER PUBLIC SAFETY, TO BUILD TRUST
via Bhal Abad Cabrera | August 19, 2026
PLARIDEL, Misamis Occidental—The municipality says good governance is not simply about managing public funds but about making government more accessible, accountable, and responsive to its people.
For the municipal government of Plaridel, good governance begins with something more fundamental than projects and budgets: earning the trust of the people.
That principle anchors the first pillar of its GADWIN Framework—Good Governance, Peace, Order, and Public Safety—which the municipality considers the foundation for all other development initiatives.
The framework emphasizes transparency, accountability, responsible fiscal management, participatory decision-making, and quality public service. The municipality's administration says every peso entrusted to government should ultimately translate into programs and services that improve people's lives.
Plaridel's financial figures show a growing capacity to fund government programs. Its annual budget increased from ₱244.44 million in 2024 to ₱282.40 million in 2025 before reaching ₱309.33 million as of the first semester of 2026.
The municipality has also pushed digital transformation across government offices. The Business Permit and Licensing Office introduced online applications and renewals, electronic processing, real-time tracking, online payments, and digital records. The Sangguniang Bayan, meanwhile, adopted paperless sessions to reduce paperwork, improve records management, and make legislative deliberations more efficient.
Good governance also extends to frontline service.
The administration says government offices should provide citizens with professional, courteous, efficient, and respectful service, stressing that public office exists to serve rather than to be served.
The municipality has likewise tied governance to public safety, arguing that economic growth cannot be sustained without peace and order.
From 2024 to 2026, the Plaridel Municipal Police Station reported operations involving wanted persons, illegal drugs, smuggled ci******es, and other criminal activities, including a June 2026 operation that led to the arrest of a reported regional high-value drug target and the confiscation of suspected shabu, a firearm, ammunition, and a gr***de.
But the municipality says enforcement is only one part of the equation. Barangay officials, peacekeeping teams, emergency responders, civil society groups, and ordinary residents are also expected to play a role in maintaining peace and security.
Plaridel is also pursuing ISO 9001 certification as part of its effort to strengthen its quality management system and institutionalize more consistent and accountable public services.
The larger goal is to make governance something residents experience in their daily transactions—not merely something reflected in government reports.
For Plaridel, the measure of good governance ultimately lies in whether citizens feel that government listens, acts, and serves with integrity.