ILOILO – For the fifth time the provincial government bagged the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and Vice Gov. Christine Garin received the SGLG award on behalf of the Iloilo provincial government on Dec. 15 at The Manila Hotel in Metro Manila.
The governor cited the collective efforts of provincial government officials, department heads, capitol employees, municipal mayors, barangay officials, partner national government agencies, the Ilonggos public, and members of the media.
“Ang SGLG…is the standard set by the DILG. If we follow it, then you can say that you are practicing good governance. Again, good governance is not an objective, it is a standard. It is a modality,” Defensor told the Iloilo Provincial Capitol Press Corps.
With that, he added, the provincial government’s mission and vision in the next three years is “to have a local government unit that provides equitable distribution of the resources and opportunities in the province through good governance.”
Receiving the SGLG again this year also signified improvement on the part of the provincial government, especially since the criteria for the award become more rigorous each year.
“We can say that we improved…that’s the most important part of SGLG,” Defensor said.
A P9.5 million cash incentive will be released to the Iloilo provincial government.
Other 2022 SGLG awardees in the province were Passi City and the municipalities of Anilao, Bingawan, Concepcion, Dingle, Oton, Pavia, and Zarraga.
Iloilo province passed the SGLG assessment in the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.
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.
SGLG is institutionalized through Republic Act No. 11292./PN
