The local governments of Quezon, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela (Camanava) received the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) form the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for their excellence in public service during an awarding ceremony held at The Manila Hotel, on Dec. 13.

The Seal of Good Local Governance, by virtue of Republic Act No, 11292 or the SGLG Act of 2019, is an institutionalized award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program that encourages LGUs’ commitment to progress and improve their performance along various governance areas continuously.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte personally received the award as Distinguished Local Government and said the seal is proof that the services offered by the local government to the residents of Quezon City are sincere.

“Ang tagumpay na ito ay tagumpay nating lahat! (This success is a victory for all of us),” the city mayor said in her Facebook post.

Meanwhile, Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan received the city's seventh consecutive Seal of Good Local Governance.

Malapitan expressed his gratitude to the people of Caloocan for giving their full support to the city which made it receive another SGLG.

“Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa DILG para sa patuloy na pagtitiwala sa ganda at husay ng ating mga serbisyo sa iba’t-ibang larangan. Hindi po basta-basta ang makakuha ng pitong sunud-sunod na SGLG kaya naman po taos-puso ko pong ipinagmamalaki ito (I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for continuously trusting in the excellence of our services across various fields. Achieving the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for seven consecutive times is no small feat, making this success truly meaningful for all of us. Thank you very much for the support and recognition of our efforts),” he said.

He also thanked various departments from the city government.

“Siyempre, hindi ko po makakalimutan ang lahat ng ating mga kawani sa iba’t-ibang kagawaran ng pamahalaang lungsod dahil sila po ang ating mga kasamang kumilos araw-araw upang pagandahin pa lalo ang buhay ng mga Batang Kankaloo. Kasama po kayong lahat sa parangal na ito (Of course, I will not forget all our employees in various departments of the local government because they are the ones working together every day to further improve the lives of the residents of Kankaloo. You are all part of this recognition, and I appreciate each and everyone of you),” he added.

The city mayor also underscored that the award is meaningless unless the good work already initiated is continued.

He also pledged to improve further all the programs and projects of the city government.

“Lagi’t-lagi pong para sa ating mga kababayan ang ating mga ginagawa sa pamahalaang lungsod. Masaya po tayo sa mga parangal na ating natatanggap ngunit pagkatapos nito, tuloy-tuloy lang po ang ating trabaho na palakasin pa ang mga nasimulan na nating programa (Always, our actions in the local government are for the benefit of our fellow citizens. We are happy with the recognition we receive, but after this, let's continue our work to strengthen the programs we have already started),” he said.

Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval expressed her gratitude to the city's residents for their unfailing support to the city government.

“Lubos ang aking pasasalamat sa bawat isa sa ating mga kababayan sa Malabon. Ang pagkilala na ito ay hindi lamang tagumpay ng lokal na pamahalaan kundi pati na rin ng buong komunidad. Maraming salamat sa inyong suporta at dedikasyon para sa mas maunlad na Malabon (I am deeply grateful to each and every one of our fellow citizens in Malabon. This recognition is not only the success of the local government but also of the entire community. Thank you for your support and dedication to a more prosperous Malabon),” Sandoval said.

Navotas City Mayor John Rey Tiangco, accompanied by Vice Mayor Tito Sanchez, and City Administrator Christia Padolina, received the award on Wednesday at the Manila Hotel.

“We are more than honored to receive another seal from the DILG, the highest recognition for LGUs. We are proud of what we have accomplished and, at the same time, humbled by the recognition,” Tiangco said.

“We thank our fellow public servants in the city government and all other stakeholders for their constant support and cooperation. Ang award na ito ay para po sa bawat Navoteno (This award is for every resident of Navotas),” he said.

Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian shared his excitement in receiving the SGLG.

“Very meaningful ang araw na ‘to, dahil first-time nating nanalo ng SGLG. Isang karangalan sa ’kin bilang Ama ng Lungsod, na nakuha po natin ito, and this, for me, is a motivation to do better in the next years. Congratulations and thank you to my department heads, City Hall staff, and to the City of Valenzuela for attaining our first time winning the SGLG. It's an honor for me as the Father of the City that we achieved this. This, for me, is a motivation to do even better in the coming years. Congratulations and thanks to my department heads, City Hall staff, and to the City of Valenzuela for achieving our first SGLG),” he said.

The recipients of the seal must pass evaluations in all ten governance sectors, encompassing Financial Management and Sustainability, Disaster Readiness, Social Welfare and Empathy, Health Compliance and Responsiveness, Sustainable Education, Business Affability and Competitiveness, Safety, Peace, and Order, Environmental Oversight, Tourism, Heritage Promotion, Cultural and Artistic Initiatives, and Youth Advancement.

The awardees of this year's SGLG were granted an incentive fund subsidy amounting to P2.3 million.