The barangay is the basic political unit in the community. It is provided by the Local Government Code that barangays must have an accountable, efficient and dynamic organizational structure and operating mechanism that will meet the priority needs and service requirements of its communities. This must be continually strengthened in to order to upgrade continually the quality of local leadership, as they play a very important role in the overall development and transformation of the community, and the nation. Thus, Hon. Vice Mayor Jose Antonio S. Veloso led the Fourteenth Sangguniang Panlungsod in passing an Ordinance that will institutionalize the Good Barangay Governance Award to reward the best performance exhibited by the barangays of Tagbilaran City. This will greatly inspire barangay officials to set good examples and respond promptly to the needs of their constituents. This incentive program will encourage barangays to scale up its performance and practices of good governance that accord primacy to the principles of accountability, transparency, performance and effectiveness. For the initial implementation, barangays need to pass in all four core areas and at least one of the essential areas. The core areas are Barangay Administration, Peace and Order, Financial Administration and Disaster preparedness. Essential areas include Social Protection, Business Friendliness and Competitiveness, and Environmental Management. The assessment period shall be from January to March of each year. A cash prize and a Seal of Good Governance shall be awarded to the winning barangay. The Ordinance is sponsored by Hon. Fausto S. Budlong, Chairman of the Committee on Barangay Affairs.