Region 1 Did It Again!
Still leading the pack of Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardees from all over the country is Region 1 for having the most number of 2019 SGLG awardees with a total of Sixty-Five (65) Local Government Units (LGUs). These 65 awardees represent 50% of the total number of LGUs assessed in the region and 17.11% of the Three Hundred Eighty (380) LGU passers nationwide. Region 1 consistently had the most number of SGLG awardees from 2015 to 2019, sustaining its reputation as the region to beat.
The region’s 2019 SGLG awardees comprise of the Two (2) Provinces, namely Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan; Six (6) Cities, namely Batac in Ilocos Norte, Vigan and Candon in Ilocos Sur, San Fernando in La Union, Alaminos and San Carlos in Pangasinan; and Fifty-Seven (57) Municipalities, namely Bacarra, Bangui, Banna, Burgos, Currimao, San Nicolas, and Vintar in Ilocos Norte; Caoayan, Santa, Bantay, Galimuyod, Magsingal, Quirino, San Esteban, San Ildefonso, San Juan, San Vicente, Santa Lucia, Santiago, Sta. Catalina, Sta. Cruz, Sto. Domingo, Suyo, and Tagudin in Ilocos Sur; Agoo, Aringay, Balaoan, Bangar, Burgos, Caba, Naguilian, Pugo, Rosario, San Juan, Santo Tomas, and Tubao in La Union; and Alcala, Bayambang, Aguilar, Anda, Asingan, Balungao, Basista, Bugallon, Calasiao, Infanta, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Mangaldan, Mangatarem, Natividad, Rosales, San Manuel, San Quintin, Sta. Maria, Tayug, and Urbiztondo in Pangasinan.
Among these Region I passers, the Province of Pangasinan, City of Vigan, and Municipalities of Caoayan, Santa, Alcala, and Bayambang are Hall of Famers for consistently bagging the prestigious SGLG awards for three consecutive years.
Despite the stricter assessment criteria, the 65 LGU awardees successfully hurdled the “All-in” assessment system in which they passed the Seven (7) 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 awardees were conferred last November 4, 2019 at the Manila Hotel, Fiesta Pavillion, Manila with a 2019 SGLG marker, eligibility to the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) in the amount of PhP 4.5 Million for a province, PhP 3.5 Million for a city, and PhP 2.3 Million for a municipality to finance their priority local development initiatives, and priority access to other programs and capacity development assistance from the DILG.
All the One Hundred Twenty-Nine (129) LGUs in the region — Four (4) Provinces, Nine (9) Cities and One Hundred Sixteen (116) Municipalities were assessed for the SGLG.
The prestigious SGLG award conferred by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) symbolizes integrity and good performance through continuing governance reform and sustained local development. It is a progressive assessment system adopted by the DILG to give distinction to remarkable local government performance across the core and essential areas.
2019 also marked a defining moment for good governance due to the enactment of the Republic Act No. 11292 or the SGLG Act which expands the Seven (7) Assessment Areas to Ten (10), broadens partnerships with the establishment of Council of Good Local Governance, rebrands PCF to SGLG Incentive Fund, and offers more responsive capacity building interventions.
