DAVAO CITY — First Congressional District Rep. Paolo Z. Duterte has been named as Honorary Congressman of the Year during the recently concluded Nation Builders and Mosliv Awards rites held in Manila for crafting legislative measures that aim to contribute to the country's sustainable development.

Duterte thanked the award-giving body for conferring the honor as he pledged to continue pursuing his goal of achieving a sustainable future for the country through legislation and his ongoing green initiatives in this city.

"Our commitment to sustainable development does not end with filing bills in Congress but continues by implementing actionable programs that will help end poverty, spur economic growth, and make our people resilient to the devastating effects of climate change at the local government level," he said.

Organized by Sustainable Standards Inc. (SSI), the Nation Builders and Mosliv Awards celebrate and honor the changemakers and leaders in sustainability across the Philippines.

SSI recognized the lawmaker as Honorary Congressman of the Year (green category) for his "excellent and successful legislation" that contributes to the organization's primary objective of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) toward a global climate-neutral society by 2050.

"Thank you to the people behind the Nation Builders and Mosliv Awards for recognizing our modest efforts to contribute to sustainable development. Daghang salamat," Duterte added.

Bills filed by Rep. Duterte in the 19th Congress that seek to attain this goal are, among others, House Bill (HB) 500, which aims to institutionalize the community-driven development approach for inclusive growth; HB 507, which seeks to regulate the production, sale, use, and disposal of single-use plastic products; HB 1757, which seeks to provide the sustainable management of heritage trees; HB 8162, which aims to institute a national land use policy; HB 8586, which aims to set in place more robust measures for the conservation and protection of wildlife resources and their habitats; and HB 9327, which seeks to enhance the resiliency of farmers to adverse climate events by institutionalizing the use of crop climate calendars.

Among Rep. Duterte's sustainability development proposals that have been signed into law are HB 1171, which promotes inclusive and sustainable growth through the One Town, One Product Program (Republic Act 11960), and HB 6336, which freed agrarian reform beneficiaries from financial burden by condoning their unpaid financial obligations (RA 11953).

Duterte also continues to implement programs and projects in Davao City that, among others, assist displaced workers, senior citizens, and other vulnerable individuals; improve the access of Dabawenyos to education and healthcare; deliver clean water and sanitation to underserved communities; and reduce inequality.