ILOILO — The provincial government is striving to secure its seventh Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), a recognition of excellence in local governance standards.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. led the provincial government team during last week’s regional assessment for the 2024 SGLG.
The assessment was conducted by a team comprising DILG regional director Juan Jovian Ingeniero, DILG-Iloilo provincial director Engr. Carmelo Orbista, DILG-Capiz provincial director and regional assessment team leader Cherryl Tacda, along with Provincial Administrator Raul Banias and other key provincial government officials.
Governor Defensor expressed optimism about their performance.
“Yes, we feel good about it. Better than the previous years,” he said when asked by Panay News about his confidence in winning the award again.
Defensor emphasized the significance of the SGLG, noting that it sets a standard for good governance and serves as a guideline for the daily operations of the provincial government in delivering public services.
“The SGLG standards are critical for our processes here at the office, and we are happy to comply,” Defensor added.
In 2023, the province won its sixth SGLG award and received an incentive fund of P4 million. This award reflects Defensor’s development approach termed MoRProGRes Iloilo (Movement for a Robust, Progressive, Globally Competitive, and Resilient Province of Iloilo), which aims for holistic provincial development.
Iloilo has made governance history by being the first province in the Philippines to win the SGLG for four consecutive years (2015 to 2018) under the leadership of former governor Arthur Defensor Sr. The province secured its fifth award in 2022 under the current administration.
Known as the “mother of all awards,” the SGLG is the highest accolade awarded to local government units demonstrating transparency and accountability.
To qualify, local governments must excel in 10 assessment areas: Good Financial Administration, Disaster Preparedness, Social Protection, Health Compliance, Education, Business-friendliness, Safety, Environmental Management, Tourism and Culture, and Youth Development./PN
