Officials expressed high optimism last week that the provincial government of Catanduanes would be able to earn the prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance for 2023 after just missing out in the 2022 awards.
Governor Joseph Cua told heads of offices during the management committee meeting to work hard in achieving the SGLG for the province as the last time it won the award in 2017 as a “Hall of Famer.”
Provincial Administrator and SGLG Focal Person Eulalia Talaran is positive that for 2023, the province will be able to achieve the prestigious seal given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Last year, the province underwent regional validation and was poised to be one of the LGUs in Bicol to receive the Seal. It passed nine out of the 10 governance areas in the assessment, showing high functionality in terms of local governance and general administration except in the area of safety, peace and order.
This was revealed by the DILG Catanduanes Provincial Office to the province’s SGLG focal persons and representatives in a meeting conducted last Thursday, Feb. 16, 2024, at the Governor’s Office Conference Room.
In the assessment results presented by DILG Catanduanes Cluster Head William Aldea, PLGU Catanduanes fared well in the following governance areas: financial administration; disaster preparedness; social protection and sensitivity; health compliance and responsiveness; sustainable education; business-friendliness and competitiveness; environmental management and protection; tourism, culture, and heritage development; and youth development.
During the discussion, the concerned heads along with members of the Local Finance Committee assessed the previous performance for recalibration for the 2023 assessment.
Likewise, with the satisfactory results in nine areas, the assigned team is poised to focus on attaining high scores to ensure that the financial and physical accomplishments in the area, as well as issuances and innovations initiated by the PLGU Catanduanes in terms of addressing drug-related concerns, are highlighted on this year’s assessment and validation.
In the meeting, the Provincial SGLG focal persons and representatives gave updates to the team, with many aiming to maintain or surpass previous ratings in the various criteria delineated for the nine government areas.
Aldea also presented the general results of the 11 municipalities in the SGLG assessment, sharing the good news that no municipal local government units scored zero in the governance areas.
He disclosed that for 2023, most of them have the potential to achieve the SGLG, which only the town of Baras won last year.
Institutionalized through Republic Act 11292, the SGLG is an award program that honors and provides incentives to LGUs committed to efficient leadership and outstanding public service.
In 2023, a total of 306 LGUs — comprising 41 provinces, 48 cities, and 209 municipalities — received the SGLG recognition.