More Cordillera LGUs show excellence in performance

BAGUIO: The Department of the Interior and Local Government in the Cordillera Administrative Region (DILG-CAR) said more localities are making it to the list of excellent local government units (LGUs) after passing the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) criteria. From only 12 LGU passers in 2019; 13 passed in 2022; and 23 in 2023, there are 40 potential passers this year, according to Araceli San Jose, DILG-CAR director during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas press briefing at the regional office here on Tuesday. The Cordillera has 83 LGUs -- 75 municipalities, one component city, one highly urbanized city and six provinces. 'As much as possible, we want all LGUs to pass the SGLG rating because that would mean they are excellent in the performance of their tasks in the 10 competencies. It is not just an award but rates how they perform as an LGU. It means their constituents are getting an excellent service,' San Jose said. SGLG is a mandatory assessment of all local government units as mandated by Republ ic Act 11292. The 10 competencies being assessed are financial administration and sustainability; disaster preparedness; social protection and sensitivity; health compliance and responsiveness; sustainable education; business friendliness and competitiveness; safety, peace and order; environmental management; tourism, heritage development, culture and arts; and youth development. San Jose said the DILG continues to assist and provide technical assistance to the non-passers by bridging them, especially in the competencies where they showed low rating. She said the strong points of Cordillera LGUs are in health compliance and responsiveness; safety, peace and order; tourism, heritage development, culture and arts; disaster preparedness; and environmental management. Weaknesses, on the other hand, are on sustainable education; youth development; business friendliness and competitiveness; social protection and sensitivity; and financial administration and sustainability, she said. She added that the land use plan of an LGU is an important factor. Otherwise, the locality automatically fails. Source: Philippines News Agency