Press Release
July 25, 2018

ANGARA WANTS TO INSTITUTIONALIZE SEAL OF GOOD LOCAL GOVERNANCE TO IMPROVE LGU SERVICES

Senator Sonny Angara has recommended for plenary approval a measure institutionalizing the Seal of Good Local Governance, an incentive program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that recognizes and rewards local government units (LGUs) for their excellent service and high standards of governance.

In his sponsorship speech of Senate Bill 1656, Angara urged his fellow senators to approve the proposed Seal of Good Local Governance Act to promote good public administration among LGUs and further improve their delivery of basic services to their constituencies.

Angara said such DILG program needs to be institutionalized after having pushed many LGUs to operate "more efficiently, more effectively, and with more transparency and accountability" since its inception in 2014.

"This should be enshrined as law of the land for we believe that there must always be a policy that recognizes and rewards good governance, especially when it is accomplished by our provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays," said Angara, chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government.

According to Angara, the Seal of Good Local Governance was the offspring of two pioneering programs introduced by the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo in 2010--the Seal of Good Housekeeping and the Performance Challenge Fund.

Under these programs, LGUs that successfully implemented "good financial housekeeping and full disclosure policies" in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Commission on Audit, are given performance-based grant which they could use to supplement funding for local development projects.

Each recipient is entitled to a cash grant of P1 million for municipality, P3 million for city and P7 million for province for a project approved by the DILG.

"Sa Seal of Good Housekeeping, hindi lang sinigurado na may tamang financial management processes ang mga LGU. Marami ring local projects ang napondohan dahil dito," Angara pointed out.

He said that through such incentive program, a fish port was built in San Jose, Dinagat Islands; additional classrooms were constructed in a barangay in Minalin, Pampanga; at least three villages in San Agustin, Surigao del Sur now have access to potable water; roads were reconstructed in Calamba, Misamis Occidental; and a processing center for shrimp paste was established in Anilao, Iloilo.

From good financial housekeeping and financial administration, the assessment criteria for Seal of Good Local Governance were expanded to nine core areas: disaster preparedness; social protection; peace and order; business-friendliness and competitiveness; environmental protection; tourism, culture and the arts; health; and education.

Under the proposed measure, aside from provinces, municipalities and cities, barangays will also now be covered by the program.

Moreover, a P1-billion Incentive Fund shall be created.

During the last three years, a total of 1,008 LGUs have been awarded with the Seal of Good Local Governance.

"Dahil padami nang padami ang mga nabibigyan ng Seal of Good Local Governance, padami nang padami rin ang mga LGU na gumaganda ang serbisyo nila sa publiko. Tila ito'y simbolo sa patuloy na pagpupursige ng ating mga lokal na pamahalaan para pagbutihin pa lalo ang kanilang pamamalakad sa kanilang mga nasasakupan," Angara said.

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