The Manila City government was awarded with the 2024 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Mayor Honey Lacuna's administration gets the first seal of good local governance award after many years (Photo from Jerry Tan)
According to the city government, this milestone reflects the city's commitment to excellence under the leadership of Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan, who credited the accomplishment to the dedication and hard work of city officials and employees.
The SGLG award recognizes local government units (LGUs) that excel in various governance areas. Manila’s performance was evaluated under the comprehensive criteria, including financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, health compliance, sustainable education, business-friendliness, peace and order, environmental management, tourism, cultural development, and youth engagement.
"Hindi po biro ang magawaran ng Seal of Good Local Governance (Receiving the Seal of Good Local Governance is no easy feat),” Lacuna-Pangan said.
“Para itong pagsuot sa butas ng karayom, sapagkat ang bawat LGU ay sumasailalim sa masinop at masusing pag-grado hindi lamang ng DILG, kundi ng iba pang national government agency partners nito, tulad ng Commission on Audit (COA), Department of Finance, NEDA, DSWD, Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), DHSUD, at Office of Civil Defense (It’s like threading the eye of a needle. Each LGU undergoes meticulous and thorough evaluation, not just by the DILG but also by other national government agency partners like the Commission on Audit, Department of Finance, NEDA, DSWD, DOH, DENR, PDEA, DTI, DHSUD, and the Office of Civil Defense. This is why not all LGUs—whether provinces, cities, municipalities, or barangays—are awarded this seal),” she added.
Meanwhile, there were also eight city barangays that were endorsed for individual SGLG honors:
District 1: Barangays 103 and 6
District 2: Barangay 186
District 3: Barangay 300
District 4: Barangays 572, 425, 480, and 566
Lacuna-Pangan described the award as further proof of the city’s achievements, dismissing unfounded criticisms of her administration.
“This recognition refutes malicious insinuations that we have done nothing for Manila,” she also said.
“Congratulations to everyone who made this possible!” she concluded.