ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. thanked the municipal mayors, barangay officials, department heads, and employees of the Iloilo provincial government after the province bagged the sixth Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award.
He personally received the P4-million incentive fund in check during the awarding ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 14.
“Nalipay kita nga isa kita sa ginhatagan sang award sang DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government). Sa liwat nagapasalamat kita,” Defensor said.
With the governor receiving the award were Vice Gov. Christine Garin, Provincial Board member Jason Gonzales, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Maria Socorro Quiñon, Provincial Population Office chief Atty. Ruel Von Superio, and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Colonel Cornelio Salinas (ret.).
This governance award, according to Defensor, is a manifestation of his administration’s development mantra MoRProGRes Iloilo (Movement for a Robust, Progressive, Globally Competitive, and Resilient Province of Iloilo), which is a whole-of-province approach to the development and progress of the province.
The governor has been emphasizing that SGLG is not a goal but a standard that all local government units should embody to uphold transparency, accountability, and effective governance.
“We will continue to maintain the standard that we are following for good governance,” Defensor said.
To recall, Iloilo made a governance history for being the first province in the Philippines to win the SGLG for four consecutive years (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018) during the administration of former governor Arthur Defensor Sr.
Iloilo Province scored its 5th SGLG award in 2022 under the administration of Defensor Jr.
Dubbed as the “mother of all awards”, SGLG is the highest distinction given to local government units that exemplify transparency and accountability.
To pass the 2022 SGLG, local governments must pass these 10 assessment areas: Good Financial Administration; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection and Sensitivity Programs; Health Compliance and Responsiveness; Programs for Sustainable Education; Business-friendliness and Competitiveness; Safety Peace and Order; Environmental Management; Tourism, Heritage Development, Culture and Arts; and Youth Development.
The SGLG as an institutionalized award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program continues to uphold its commitment in bringing about inclusive and people-oriented reforms that will enable the local government units to foster culture of good governance amid the challenges in the local government landscape.
This year, performance measures are further upgraded to also gauge outcome-oriented efforts of the LGUs.
“As the seal maintains its progressive nature, its response to various concerns in local administration and service delivery remains to be anchored on its thrust of giving distinction and incentivizing good performance,” stated in the DILG Memorandum Circular 2023-086.
It added: “With the setting in of the new administration and the adoption of the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, the seal also anticipates and seek to influence potential actions of LGUs in response to these changes through direction-setting and strengthened performance information, as we all look forward to a more prosperous, inclusive, and resilient society – all through – Tapat at Mahusay na Pamahalaang Lokal.”/PN
