BAGUIO CITY - Gov.,Arthur R. Defensor, Jr. served as keynote speaker during the Convocation Ceremony of twenty (20) first-term mayors who graduated from the Leaders for Excellence and Public Service (LEAP) Open Government Fellowship Program, a flagship capacity-building initiative of the Mayors for Good Governance, Inc. (M4GG), held at Camp John Hay Hotel in Baguio City.
In his keynote address, Governor Defensor highlighted Executive Order No. 111, Series of 2025 or the “Order to Institute the Provincial Community Defense Action for MoRProGRes Iloilo – Kapayapaan, Kaayusan, at Katatagan Tungo sa Kaunlaran ng Bagong Pilipinas,” as an example of a local governance innovation that promotes stronger collaboration and community action.
He emphasized that the 4K for MoRProGRes serves as a strategy for intensified, integrated, and collaborative community action for peace, order, and resilience toward national development, while strengthening the defense of the general welfare of citizens and local government units against internal and external threats.
Defensor likewise underscored his governance direction that in Iloilo, "Good governance is a standard and a way of life". He also emphasized the importance of advancing social justice and pursuing development thrusts that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of communities.
He encouraged the graduating fellows to translate their learning from the LEAP Fellowship into reforms and innovations in their respective local governments emphasizing that good governance is ultimately measured by its impact on people's lives.
Governor Defensor was joined during the ceremony by Mr. Andrew Bowes, Political Counsellor of the British Embassy Manila; Ms. Maria Raquel Paula “Kin” G. Lichauco, Executive Director of the San Miguel Foundation; and facilitators from M4GG.