BUTUAN CITY -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) – Caraga is now in full blast in assessing the performance of Local Government Units (LGUs) in the region for the 2022 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).
All seventy-eight (78) LGUs in the region are being assessed for this first year’s full-blown implementation of Republic Act No. 11292, known as the SGLG Act of 2019 para sa Pagkilala sa Katapatan at Kahusayan ng Pamahalaang Lokal.
The Seal is a recognition for the LGU's journey towards good local governance. It is both a symbol and responsibility to relentlessly uphold the principles of accountability, honesty, transparency, service and sustainable development in local government units.
Taking off from the previous SGLG Assessment way back in 2019, as year 2020 SGLG Assessment was officially suspended because of the grueling challenges of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, while year 2021 was the year of the SGLG Pilot Field Test, this year carries on the first year of up-scaled implementation in raising the SGLG’s Bar of Excellence in measuring the performances of Local Government Units (LGUs) from Seven (7) to Ten (10) Governance Areas:
1. Financial Administration
2. Disaster Preparedness
3. Social Protection and Sensitivity Programs
4. Safety, Peace and Order
5. Business-Friendliness and Competitiveness
6. Environmental Management
7. Tourism, Heritage Development, Culture and Arts
8. Programs for Sustainable Education(new)
9. Health Compliance and Responsiveness(new)
10. Youth Development(new)
The Seal now shifts its focus to results-based parameters that would influence behavioral change. This will include output-outcome indicators and accountability from supervising LGUs, such as provincial government’s supervision over its component cities and municipalities, and cities / municipalities’ supervision over barangays. The SGLG Act also encourages our LGUs to facilitate a holistic approach to development by passing all ten (10) Governance Areas.
LGUs must be “ALL-IN” by passing all the ten (10) assessment areas, otherwise, they will not get the Seal or fail in the Assessment.
Another highlight of this year’s SGLG Assessment is that in order for a Province to qualify, it must, at least ten percent (10%) of its component cities and municipalities, be SGLG passers. Otherwise, even if it has passed all ten (10) Governance Areas, but if it fails to meet at least 10% of its component Cities / Municipalities as passers thereof, it cannot qualify to receive the Seal.
The LGU assessment conducted by the Regional Assessment Teams (RATs) has started from the 3rdweek of April until the 3rd week of May, 2022. Regional Calibration and shortlisting of potential passers will be conducted on May 23-24, 2022. Potential Passers will be submitted to DILG Central Office and re-calibrated in the national level by August or September this year.
This year’s LGU Awardees or SGLG Recipients are eligible to the SGLG Incentive Fund (SGLG-IF), formerly known as the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), to finance local development initiatives in furtherance of national goals and strategic thrusts.
As LGUs hustle through the rigorous process of SGLG Assessment, DILG ensures that this SGLG Assessment sticks to the principles of upholding transparency and accountability as there will be lots of documents to go through as well as many considerations and forms to accomplish. (LGOO VI Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa, DILG-Caraga/PIA-Caraga)
