We Are Enchanting Balete


      
        The Municipality of Balete has been in the national limelight for the past two years when it was chosen as one of the 15 municipalities from all over the country to have been conferred with the Seal of Good Housekeeping Awards by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). The awards were won due to the fact that Balete espoused the values of good governance, transparency and accountability—values that the Seal of Good Housekeeping program are promoting for all government agencies to espouse.

Prior to that however, is that the LGU has been a consistent regional contender in the EXCELL Award, short for the Search for Excellence in Local Governance. In one occasion, a team of evaluators for such program came over to validate the local data. They arrived, all in black t-shirts. The leader was honest enough to explain the reason why. He intimated that since they were visiting the town of Balete on a Friday the 13th at that, they decided to all wear black tees to ward off any evil that may befell on them.

Such negative connotation associated with the name of Balete is not unique of our town. Throughout the Philippines, Balete or Balite is always associated with White Lady, Kapre and other evil being conceived by the pregnant mind. Other than that, there was a dark time in the history of our town when we were feared upon by people from other municipalities for the many atrocities committed by some wayward Baleten-ons. We have overcome those days. We have moved forward and showed ourselves in the light. Yet the past hounds us. We thus endeavored to present a different and positive aura for others to perceive. 

We are Enchanting Balete. We focus on the many positive milestones and pro-active endeavors of our people. We exert efforts to converge the many good things that have come our way over the years. We find them in the economic endeavors of the community, in their social activities and in our common quest of protecting our fragile environment. We have created a venue to magnify them for sustainable development. Such is “Enchanting Balete.”

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