MAASIN CITY (PIA) — Southern Leyte province, which comprises 18 municipalities, one city, and the provincial local government unit (PLGU), has retained the brand as the home of champions.
Ten local government units received awards on December 14 in Manila for having passed the national evaluation on the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) according toJhonel Anavesa, assistant provincial director for administration of the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Southern Leyte. “Last year there were nine SGLG passers; now there are 10, so as they say, our province is the home of champions,” he added.
Anavesa identified the winning LGUs as the following: Silago, San Juan, Hinunangan, Saint Bernard, Liloan, Libagon, Sogod, Padre Burgos, Macrohon, and Maasin City, in which the towns of Silago and San Juan are first-time SGLG passers.
What made them rise above the rest was no secret; for the DILG, as the incentive-giving body, listed several areas that served as the overriding criteria, and having satisfactorily complied with these qualifications would be a ticket for the citation.
On matters of financial administration, for instance, the LGU must show an increasing trend of collecting local income without any ifs, buts, or justifications, and this is based on a set of national standards, Anavesa shared.
Utilization of the 20 percent development fund should be carried out to the fullest, although “fullest” here meant having used at least 65 percent,so if an LGU surpassed this rate through proper management and implementation of projects from which people can benefit, it’s a point in their favor.
But projects funded by DILG under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) have to be accomplished 100 percent, a tough challenge, especially with changing weather conditions, yet as shown by the winners, this can be done.
The budget set aside for preparedness measures under disaster risk reduction management (DRRM), which is 70 percent, must also be fully utilized.
The tough SGLG criteria were meant to make sure that local chief executives of LGUs lived up to the expectations of those they governed and delivered on projects and basic services that had high impacts on their constituents and communities, irrespective of political color, Anavesa pointed out, adding that the efforts of SGLG awardees mirrored an inclusive governance anchored on hard work.
Aside from SGLG passers, all the LGUs attained 100 percent functionality in their respective Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs), and 14 of the LGUs, including the province, figured during the national awarding ceremony on November 22, Anavesa reported.
“These are solid proofs of the LGUs strong desire to stop the proliferation of illegal drugs in their respective areas, to reduce supply and demand given that the vice is still on,” he stressed.
Also, 17 LGUs were cited as child-friendly sites during the regional awarding on November 23.
The provincial government and the municipality of Bontoc were cited as Subaybayani awardees during the national awarding on November 15.
As for the Gawad Kalasag awards, which was held in Manila on December 11, a total of 10 LGUs were recognized as fully compliant, while the province was conferred beyond compliant, the highest level.
The city council and the Liloan Sangguniang Bayan hit it out as national finalists in the Local Legislators Award during the awarding rites on December 5. (LDL/MMP/PIA Southern Leyte)
