DILG redefines criteria for Seal of Good Local Governance recognition
Published Apr 14, 2019 03:24 pm
By Chito Chavez
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has redefined and polished its all-in criteria making the 2019 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) more challenging for the local government units (LGU).
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said the SGLG 2019 will be a refined version of last year's 'all-in' requirements composed of specific improved requisites which were missing last 2018. "The 'all-in' criteria in itself was very challenging for our local government units (LGUs) yet we still want to push them for greater innovation, hence, we polished and redefined this year's SGLG requirements," Año said. Through DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2019-44, Año noted that SGLG 2019 is geared towards institutionalizing a culture of performance among LGUs which utilizes performance information for interventions and actions. He explained that SGLG 2019 will still require LGUs to pass all seven governance areas namely: Financial Administration; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection; Peace and Order; Business Friendliness and Competitiveness; Environmental Protection; and Tourism Culture and the Arts. "The difference now is the requirements are more specific and defined, hence, creating a more competitive and dynamic metrics for our LGUs to try to attain," he added. Two hundred sixty-three LGUs passed last year's SGLG composed of 17 provinces, 39 cities, and 207 towns, a lower number compared to the 448 for 2017. "As what we have observed, the numbers of winners are dwindling as we raise the SGLG requisites. This 2019 may show the same pattern or the LGUs will really step up and rise to the occasion. We will see," the DILG Chief noted. Recipients of this year's SGLG from 81 provinces, 145 cities and 1489 municipalities will be conferred with the SGLG marker; eligibility to the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) to finance their local development initiatives; and an access to other programs and capacity development assistance from the DILG. A redefined SGLG all-in criteria Año explained that as the implementer of the SGLG program, the DILG has been keen in updating and improving the criteria to push LGUs to perform their best. "Even just halfway in last year's assessment, we already knew that we can still improve the SGLG criteria, we can still inspire LGUs towards a better performance," he noted. He explained that the SGLG 2019 has adopted specific refinements in most of the governance areas. "We saw the need to refine the criteria and we are hoping that the LGUs see this as an opportunity for an improved service delivery," Ano said. Some of the refinements integrated in the SGLG 2019 provincial, city and municipality criteria are plus 30 percent of recommendations fully complied with for Good Financial Housekeeping; and the inclusion of all quarters in CY 2018 in the compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy of Local Budget and Finances, Bids and Public Offering for the Financial Administration indicator. Disaster preparedness criteria for provincial, city and municipality now require a convened PDRRMC; a contingency plan for top two high risk hazard; and at least one LDRRMC or LDRRMO head/plantilla LDRRMO staff trained in Incident Command System. Under the Social Protection, provincial governments are now required that during CY 2018 or 2019, at least 50 percent of the provincial government-run hospitals are Philhealth accredited; and at least 50 percent of city goverment-run hospitals are Philhealth accredited for maternity care package, primary care benefits, and TB-DOTS for CY 2018 or 2019 for cities and municipal governments. The Peace and Order assessment tool requires provincial, city and municipal governments to pass the Peace and Order Performance Audit rating, while, under the Environmental Management, city and municipal government must convene their solid waste management board.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said the SGLG 2019 will be a refined version of last year's 'all-in' requirements composed of specific improved requisites which were missing last 2018. "The 'all-in' criteria in itself was very challenging for our local government units (LGUs) yet we still want to push them for greater innovation, hence, we polished and redefined this year's SGLG requirements," Año said. Through DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2019-44, Año noted that SGLG 2019 is geared towards institutionalizing a culture of performance among LGUs which utilizes performance information for interventions and actions. He explained that SGLG 2019 will still require LGUs to pass all seven governance areas namely: Financial Administration; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection; Peace and Order; Business Friendliness and Competitiveness; Environmental Protection; and Tourism Culture and the Arts. "The difference now is the requirements are more specific and defined, hence, creating a more competitive and dynamic metrics for our LGUs to try to attain," he added. Two hundred sixty-three LGUs passed last year's SGLG composed of 17 provinces, 39 cities, and 207 towns, a lower number compared to the 448 for 2017. "As what we have observed, the numbers of winners are dwindling as we raise the SGLG requisites. This 2019 may show the same pattern or the LGUs will really step up and rise to the occasion. We will see," the DILG Chief noted. Recipients of this year's SGLG from 81 provinces, 145 cities and 1489 municipalities will be conferred with the SGLG marker; eligibility to the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) to finance their local development initiatives; and an access to other programs and capacity development assistance from the DILG. A redefined SGLG all-in criteria Año explained that as the implementer of the SGLG program, the DILG has been keen in updating and improving the criteria to push LGUs to perform their best. "Even just halfway in last year's assessment, we already knew that we can still improve the SGLG criteria, we can still inspire LGUs towards a better performance," he noted. He explained that the SGLG 2019 has adopted specific refinements in most of the governance areas. "We saw the need to refine the criteria and we are hoping that the LGUs see this as an opportunity for an improved service delivery," Ano said. Some of the refinements integrated in the SGLG 2019 provincial, city and municipality criteria are plus 30 percent of recommendations fully complied with for Good Financial Housekeeping; and the inclusion of all quarters in CY 2018 in the compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy of Local Budget and Finances, Bids and Public Offering for the Financial Administration indicator. Disaster preparedness criteria for provincial, city and municipality now require a convened PDRRMC; a contingency plan for top two high risk hazard; and at least one LDRRMC or LDRRMO head/plantilla LDRRMO staff trained in Incident Command System. Under the Social Protection, provincial governments are now required that during CY 2018 or 2019, at least 50 percent of the provincial government-run hospitals are Philhealth accredited; and at least 50 percent of city goverment-run hospitals are Philhealth accredited for maternity care package, primary care benefits, and TB-DOTS for CY 2018 or 2019 for cities and municipal governments. The Peace and Order assessment tool requires provincial, city and municipal governments to pass the Peace and Order Performance Audit rating, while, under the Environmental Management, city and municipal government must convene their solid waste management board.