President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday commended the invaluable performance of the 126 local government units (LGUs) that were hailed as SubayBAYANI Awardees for their invaluable contribution to strengthening participatory governance and accountability in carrying out infrastructure projects at the local level.

“Kinikilala natin ngayon ang mga lokal na pamahalaan at ilang DILG Regional Offices na piniling mamahala at gampanan ang kanilang tungkulin nang mahusay, tapat, at may malasakit sa kanilang nasasakupan,” the President said during the SubayBAYANI Awards 2025 ceremony led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“Napatunayan nila ito sa paghikayat sa mamamayan na makilahok sa mga proyekto ng kanilang bayan, lungsod, o probinsya, at sa pagsubaybay sa mga lokal na imprastraktura na pinondohan ng taumbayan,” he added.

The SubayBAYANI Awards is DILG’s national recognition program honoring exemplary local government units (LGUs) that champion participatory governance, citizen engagement, and transparent implementation of local infrastructure projects. By incorporating the Most Significant Change (MSC) approach, SubayBAYANI brings forward community narratives that demonstrate the real impacts of local infrastructure projects.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla also expressed his appreciation to the awardees, saying that through their works, the vision of a Bagong Pilipinas becomes real. “Sa ating mga SubayBAYANI, Maraming, maraming salamat sa inyong paglilingkod. Ipagpatuloy ninyo ang paghahatid ng pag-asa sa pagbuo ng mas matatag na komunidad sa bawat sulok ng bansa,” he said.

For 2025, a total of 126 LGUs were recognized not only for their exemplary performance but also for demonstrating the Most Significant Change in the monitoring, reporting, and implementation of their infrastructure. These LGUs delivered transformative improvements with clear, meaningful impact on their communities: embodying the core purpose of the SubayBAYANI Awards. From among them, three municipalities, three cities, and three provinces emerged as Top Overall Performers, presenting the most compelling stories of change and the strongest evidence of positive outcomes for their people.

Among the top performers are: Mountain Province, Zamboanga Sibugay, and Aklan Province for the provincial category; Science City of Muñoz, Victorias City, and Pasig City for the City category; and Victoria, Oriental Mindoro, Sumilao, Bukidnon, and Magpet, Cotabato for the Municipal Category.

DILG Regions VIII, XII, and NCR were also cited as outstanding regional offices.

This year’s awards highlight the transformative role of the SubayBayan Portal, the DILG’s flagship digital monitoring system, enabling real-time tracking of infrastructure projects through geotagged photos, status updates, and transparent reporting.