Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Bacnotan Mayor Divina Fontanilla receive the Gawad Lingkod Bayan ng Pangulo Award, the highest civil service honor. Both mayors are also recipients of the Philippine Resilience Awards for their transformative work in local climate resilience.

MANILA, 3 February 2026 — The Climate Change Commission (CCC) lauded Mayor Josefina “Joy” G. Belmonte of Quezon City and Mayor Divina C. Fontanilla of Bacnotan, La Union, for receiving the Gawad Lingkod Bayan ng Pangulo Award, the highest civil service recognition in the country.

This award underscores their exceptional leadership and transformative impact in local governance, setting a national standard for sustainable development. The CCC is proud to honor both mayors, who have long been recognized as champions of resilience. Their prior distinction as women champions under the Philippine Resilience Awards highlighted their early and sustained commitment to safeguarding their constituents, a legacy that this new national honor further strengthens.

“The Gawad Lingkod Bayan ng Pangulo Award to Mayor Belmonte and Mayor Fontanilla validates the critical role of visionary local leadership in the national climate agenda. These women leaders exemplify how dedicated public service can turn climate challenges into opportunities for sustainable growth,” said CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje.

Mayor Belmonte has positioned Quezon City as a leader in urban climate action through the comprehensive work in solarization, sustainable mobility, and plastic pollution reduction. This earned her international acclaim as a UN Environmental Programme Champion of the Earth.

Mayor Fontanilla has transformed Bacnotan, La Union, into a model of community-led resilience through her administration's pioneering Drowning Prevention Program. This is complemented by mangrove reforestation and regular coastal cleanup drives, which enhance natural defenses against storm surges and erosion.

“Mayors Belmonte and Fontanilla are true resilience champions. Their proactive, innovative, and science-based approaches in building green, resilient, and safe communities are exactly the models we need to replicate across the nation,” said CCC Commissioner Rachel Anne S. Herrera, Convenor of the Philippine Resilience Awards.

The CCC urges all local government leaders to draw inspiration from the awardees' exemplary work and to partner in accelerating climate and disaster resilience efforts across the archipelago.