ZAMBOANGA CITY, 20 Mar (PIA) – The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-IX is set to implement capacity-building program to improve and enhance local governments’ compliance to the coveted Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award.

During the first quarter Multi-Stakeholders Advisory Committee (MSAC) meeting, recently in Zamboanga City, DILG regional director Paisal Abutazil stressed the role of the committee to assist local governments in providing better public service delivery and ultimately help communities as well.

Through the SGLG, DILG believes that local government units are able to sufficiently and effectively provide public service delivery of high standard. Prior to the pandemic, a good number of LGUs that is compliant to the SGLG has reached 18 in 2017 from only 4 in 2015.

However, DILG-9 noted that SGLG compliance of LGUs has dropped significantly in 2022 with only six LGUs passed the coveted award on good governance, namely: the municipalities of Labason, Manukan, and Piñan in Zamboanga del Norte; Labangan and Ramon Magsaysay in Zamboanga del Sur; and Mabuhay in Zamboanga Sibugay.

In spite of the diminishing compliance, DILG revealed that additional criteria were included, i.e., from seven to ten governance areas are being evaluated from LGU-applicant, namely: 1. financial administration and sustainability, 2. disaster preparedness, 3. social protection and sensitivity, 4. health compliance and responsiveness, 5. sustainable education, 6. business-friendliness and competitiveness, 7. safety, peace and order, 8. environmental management, 9. tourism, heritage development, culture and arts, and 10. youth development.

Republic Act 11292 or the SGLG Act, the Seal as a now-institutionalized award, incentive, honor and recognition-based program, aims to boost LGUs' commitment to continuously progress and improve their performance along various governance areas.

At the province level, Zamboanga del Norte only passed in four areas, while Zamboanga Sibugay passed in three, and Zamboanga del Sur with only one area passed. For cities, all failed in area of financial administration and sustainability, while all passed in area of sustainable education and youth development.

While, the DILG recognized the stringent criteria for evaluation, for RD Abutazil, this is necessary to provide a standard of good governance for LGUs to model, which will benefit their constituents and the Filipino.