A total of 714 local government units (LGUs) nationwide will be bestowed with the coveted 2024 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), the highest number of awardees in the history of the institutionalized recognition-based program for excellence in local management, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) bared on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The awardees are composed of 41 provinces, 96 cities and 577 municipalities.
Among all the regions of the country, the DILG noted that Region III garnered the highest number of SGLG winners with 106, followed by Region I with 83, and Region VI with 62.
“All LGU awardees shall receive an SGLG marker and SGLG Incentive Fund to finance local development initiatives that can further national goals and strategic thrusts,’’ the DILG stated.
The DILG emphasized that this year’s assessment has been upgraded to include more outcome-based criteria to distinguish and incentivize good performance that meets the demands of public accountability and reform.
The DILG explained that the governance areas assessed are financial administration and sustainability, disaster preparedness, social protection and sensitivity, health compliance and responsiveness, sustainable education, business-friendliness and competitiveness, safety, peace and order, environmental management, tourism, heritage development, culture and arts and youth development.