President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead ceremonies for the 2011 Gawad Pook Awards that will be held in Malacañang on Monday, January 29, 2012.

He will be joined by Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, Galing Pook National Selection Committee chair Rafael Coscolluela, and Galing Pook Foundation chairperson Nieves Confesor.

The Galing Pook Awards, which began in 1993, is an annual search for the best governance programs across the nation.

A stringent screening and judging process looks at positive results and impact, people’s participation and empowerment, innovation, efficiency of program service delivery, and transferability and sustainability.

This year’s Galing Pook awardees were chosen for providing innovative solutions to disaster response, community-based funeral services, increasing public participation in governance, creating model communities, boosting an agricultural economy, environmental management, and improving health services.

At least 150 local government units (LGUs) have been awarded, involving more than 240 programs covering health care, peacekeeping, livelihood, housing and a variety of issues.