Only the municipality of Pandan was not in the list of local governments in Catanduanes which won the 2022 Good Financial Housekeeping Award handed out by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The provincial government headed by Governor Joseph Cua was one of the three GFH provincial awardees alongside Albay and Camarines Norte.
The municipalities of Virac, San Andres, Bato, San Miguel, Viga, Panganiban, Bagamanoc, Baras, Caramoran, and Gigmoto also passed the GFH municipal level.
The winners were recognized for their efforts in sustaining good practice in financial accountability and commitment to transparency, and good governance.
The GFH is one of the components of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) introduced by the DILG in 2014.
To earn the award, LGUs must meet accounting and auditing standard regulations and pass an evaluation by the Commission on Audit (COA).
“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire PLGU-Catanduanes and the shared efforts of the Local Finance Committee. We are committed to ensuring the efficient use of public funds for the betterment of our community,” Provincial Treasurer Marilou Vargas said in a statement.
The Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping (SGFH), as certified by DILG’s Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS), affirms that an LGU had spent and audited its public funds completely and with full transparency.
The criteria for passing the GFH are as follows: most recent available COA Audit Opinion if unqualified or qualified for CYs 2020 or 2021, as of November 4, 2022; and compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy – posting of financial documents in three (3) conspicuous places and in the FDP Portal for CY 2021 2nd to 4th Quarter, and CY 2022 1st Quarter period documents.
Under the most coveted SGLG, the Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping is part of the Financial Administration and Sustainability aspect—the first of ten governance areas of assessment for LGUs.
According to an official of the DILG provjncial office, Pandan LGU failed to qualify for the SGFH award due to an adverse opinion from the COA in its audit of 2021 transactions of the municipality.
Two weeks ago, five municipalities in Catanduanes were recognized by the DILG for being High-Functional Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADAC).
The LGUs of Pandan, Virac, Caramoran, San Andres and Baras were given citations by the regional office during the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) Orientation and Dialogue with Region V’s Local Chief Executives attended by Gov. Cua and other mayors last Jan. 28, 2023.
SBDP is among the flagship programs of DILG that aims to address development gaps in the communities by providing needed financial support, social services, and infrastructure to remote barangays.
Caramoran and San Andres received identical ratings of 100 while Virac got 95, Baras had 93 and Pandan was at 90.5.
Also earning high functional marks were Bagamanoc and Panganiban, which had similar 90 scores, but did not receive the award.
Classified as moderate functional were the ADACs of Bato (73), Gigmoto (80.5), San Miguel (82.5) and Viga (77.5).