INT’L RECOGNITION. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (2nd from right) shows the "Circle of Excellence" award she received in Sevilla, Spain together with other local governments worldwide for the city's effective response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Belmonte dedicated the recognition to the city's front-liners and healthcare workers. (Photo grabbed from QC government Facebook page)
MANILA – The Quezon City government has been given the "Circle of Excellence" award, along with five other cities in the world, for its effective response to mitigate the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Mayor Joy Belmonte personally received the award from the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC) during the Fast-Track Cities 2022 conference in Sevilla, Spain.
"We dedicate this award to our healthcare workers and other front-liners who have put their lives on the line to address the needs of QCitizens during the pandemic,” Belmonte said in a statement on Wednesday.
“This is a validation of their hard work and the effectiveness of our Covid-19 response, especially in the delivery of basic services to the people,” she added.
Quezon City was selected by the IAPAC and the Fast-Track Cities Institute (FTCi) after a rigorous nomination and deliberation process in consultation with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
The cities of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, New York in the United States, Kingston in Jamaica, Johannesburg in South Africa, and Lagos in Nigeria received the same award.
Meanwhile, various issues on migrant workers and healthcare were also tackled during the conference where Belmonte served as one of the panelists and resource persons, together with other local officials from Sevilla, Kingston, Bangkok in Thailand, Gaborone in Botswana, Kyiv in Ukraine, Blantyre in Malawi, Libreville in Gabon, and Texas in the US.
Belmonte stressed the city government’s commitment to the “Sevilla Declaration on the Centrality of Communities in Urban HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), TB (tuberculosis), and Viral Hepatitis Responses”.
The declaration seeks to attain sustainable development goals in ending HIV and TB and eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030 through various local government initiatives.
“The signing seals our commitment to provide a whole-of-city, integrated approach aligned with national and international initiatives to end TB, HIV, and viral hepatitis. We will allot more time and resources to help vulnerable sectors to ensure a healthier community," Belmonte said. (PNA)
