BY GLENDA TAYONA and IME SORNITO
ILOILO City – The local government units (LGUs) of 106 towns and 15 cities in Western Visayas passed the good financial housekeeping review of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for 2019.
The region’s six provincial governments – Iloilo, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras, and Negros Occidental – also passed the review.
They will be conferred with the Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping for complying with accounting and auditing standards, rules and regulations.
They could also secure loans or become recipients of grants from foreign and local funding institutions.
The good financial housekeeping is one of the six area assessments for an LGU to be awarded with the Seal of Good Local Governance.
The 15 cities with good financial housekeeping were Iloilo City, Bacolod City, Bago City, Cadiz City, Himamaylan City, Kabankalan City, La Carlota City, Passi City, Roxas City, Sagay City, San Carlos City, Silay City, Sipalay City, Talisay City, and Victorias City.
They met the following criteria:
* Unqualified or Qualified Commission on Audit Opinion of the immediately preceding year
* Compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP) – posting in three conspicuous places and in the FDP portal of local budget and finances, bids and public offerings such as the annual budget, statement of receipts and expenditures, annual procurement plan or procurement list, and bid results on civil works, goods and services, and consulting services, among others.
Mayor Jerry Treñas welcomed Iloilo City’s inclusion in the DILG list of good financial housekeeping passers for 2019.
“We were able to maximize the funds of the city with better cash management and collection,” he said. “Thank you to our departments who are working hard. This award is for all of you.”
By province, here’s number of municipalities which passed the DILG good financial housekeeping review:
* Iloilo – 38
* Antique – 16
* Aklan – 14
* Capiz – 16
* Guimaras – 5
* Negros Occidental – 17
In Iloilo province, these towns were Oton, Tigbauan, Guimbal, Igbaras, Tubungan, Miag-ao and San Joaquin in the 1st District; Pavia, Santa Barbara, Zarraga, Leganes, Alimodan, San Miguel, and Leon in the 2nd District; Cabatuan, Mina, Pototan, Maasin, Janiuay, Badiangan, Lambunao, Bingawan, and Calinog in the 3rd District; San Enrique, Dueñas, Dingle, Dumangas, Anilao, and Banate in the 4th District; and Ajuy, Sara, Concepcion, Batad, San Dionisio, Lemery, Balasan, Estancia, and San Rafael in the 5th District.
The four municipalities that failed to pass the review were New Lucena in the 2nd District, Barotac Nuevo in the 4th District, and Barotac Viejo and Carles in the 5th District, according to DILG-Iloilo provincial director Teodora Sumagaysay.
But they could still request for reconsideration, said Sumagaysay.
“Ang downside for not passing the good financial housekeeping review is that they could not avail themselves of the Assistance to Municipalities which is a subsidy sang national government to local government units for development projects,” said Sumagaysay.
They could not also secure loans or become recipients of grants from foreign and local funding institutions./PN
