BAGUIO CITY – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced that Baguio City was able to make it and qualify for the 2016 Seal of Good Local Governance.
In his letter to Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael D. Sueno said the city was able to hurdle the stringent qualifications prescribed by the guidelines for the Search for Good Local Governance which is now on its second straight year.
We maintain the primary requirement of meeting the standards of three core areas and at least one of the essential areas. Local governments nationwide were assessed based on upgraded criteria from March to September 2016,”Sueno said.
With regards Baguio City, Sueno informed Domogan that the local government passed all the minimum parameters of the core components, namely, financial administration, social protection and disaster preparedness.
Moreover, he added the local government was able to meet the measures for two of the three essential areas, specifically business friendliness and competitiveness, peace and order and environmental management.
For being able to qualify for the SGL award, Sueno asserted the local government will be entitled to various opportunities, specifically the entitlement to access the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) amounting to P5 million, facilitation of loan approval through the issuance of good financial housekeeping certification, and other program windows subject to specific program guidelines.
Sueno extended the invitation to Mayor Domogan to attend the Seal of Good Local governance National Conferment Ceremony on October 27, 2016, 1 pm, at the GrandSofitel Philippine Plaza in Pasay City.
Last year, Baguio City was also able to qualify for the similar award after having met the upgraded criteria for the coveted award among top performing local governments nationwide.
Before, the SGLG was originally known as the Seal of Good Housekeeping which was coined to assess the performance of local governments on financial housekeeping and delivery of basic services to their constituents.
Mayor Domogan welcomed the development of the local government being able to qualify for the Search for Good Local Governance award, citing that it should as an inspiration for local officials and employees to continue striving for the best in order to improve the implementation of development projects and enhance the delivery of basic services to the people.
“We should not be satisfied with our significant gains in governance but we should continue introducing the appropriate innovations that will help bring the city to greater heights in the future,”Domogan said.
He claimed the passage of timely legislations such as the city’s environment code among others was instrument in improving the city’s compliance to the various core areas that was put in place as part of the criteria in determining the ability of local governments to cope with the prevailing trend of the times.
By Dexter A. See
