TABUK CITY, KALINGA – The province achieved its highest accolade to date in winning its third consecutive Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
This is the fifth year that Kalinga was recognized for good governance since Governor Jocel Baac took office in 2010. Prior to the SGLG, the province was conferred the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) twice.
The announcement came on Monday and named Kalinga and Mountain Province as the only provincial governments in the Cordillera region to bag this year’s SGLG award.
Acting Governor James Edduba lauded the efforts of the provincial government to win the award.
“Congratulations to the province, especially to the leadership of Governor Jocel Baac for getting the SGLG award for the fifth time. Indeed, this is a special award for the province. Kudos to the hard-working people who have made this possible – the technical people, all of the employees of the province of Kalinga, and the whole officialdom of Kalinga, especially the mayors of the seven municipalities and one city,” Edduba said.
The local chief executive said that more than a source of financial incentive, the SGLG award is a testament to Kalinga’s good governance. “This is not only about the financial benefit. It’s also about increasing the confidence of the people in their local government. It’s a reflection of the good practices in the province,” he said.
The SGLG award is a program of the DILG that promotes good governance performance and incentivizes it through the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF).
In order to qualify, local government units (LGUs) must pass DILG’s stringent “4+1” criteria assessment which includes core areas, namely, Financial Housekeeping, Disaster Preparedness, Social Protection and Peace and Order and at least one of the essential areas, namely, Business Friendliness and Competitiveness, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, and Environmental Protection.
Edduba said he wants the incentive to be channelled to projects that serve the broader public. Last year, the province received P7 million from the PCF which it used to fund infrastructure projects. This year, Edduba wants part of the incentive to be utilized in the creation of a solid waste management system. “At the moment yun parin yung isang concern. Isa rin yun sa kailangan talaga but firstly, we have to come up with an ordinance. Studies would have to be made,” he said.
According to DILG Provincial Director Mayer Adong, the province will receive an SGLG marker and P2 million cash incentive during the awarding ceremony on November 25 at the Manila Hotel. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to grace the event as guest of honor.
By Iryll Gay O. Sicnao
