GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/22 December)– All local government units (LGUs) in South Cotabato province have passed the assessment this year for the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Seal of Good Housekeeping.
Josephine Leysa, DILG South Cotabato provincial director, said the area’s LGUs specifically passed the standards on good governance based on the results of a recent evaluation for the Seal of Good Housekeeping project.
“All LGUs, from provincial to city and municipal levels have passed and made significant improvements in terms of reforms in governance as set in the project’s criteria,” she said in a radio interview.
The official said South Cotabato is the only province in Region 12 that so far made such accomplishment this year.
Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and North Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong, Kidapawan and Cotabato.
South Cotabato covers 10 municipalities and one city. Koronadal City, which is Region 12’s administrative seat and center, is a component city and the capital of the province.
The DILG said the Seal of Good Housekeeping mainly recognizes LGUs with good performance in internal housekeeping, particularly in the areas of local legislation, development planning, resource generation, resource allocation and utilization, customer service and human resource management and development.
Leysa said the area’s LGUs have passed the different levels of the project’s three main categories: bronze, silver and gold.
The bronze seal is given to LGUs that have no adverse or disclaimer Commission on Audit opinion and fully complied with the full disclosure policy.
The silver seal is for those that posted good or excellent performance as indicated in the Civil Service Commission Report Card Survey on the Anti-Red Tape Act implementation; has functional bids and awards committee; and fully complied with the posting requirement of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System.
The gold seal is given to LGUs with above benchmark Local Governance Performance Management System performance; has an internal audit office; has functionality of local development council, local school board, local housing board and peace and order council; engages in joint ventures or cooperative arrangements with peoples’ organizations and non-government organizations in the delivery of basic services, capability building, livelihood projects, agriculture and other socio-economic development endeavors; and has indigenous people or IP representation in local Sanggunian and other local policy-making bodies.
Leysa credited the accomplishment to their close coordination and constant collaboration with all LGUs within the province on various concerns.
“This is already an advocacy for us so we’ve kept on reminding our LGUs regarding the need to comply and properly practice the standards of good governance,” she said.
Leysa said they also make sure that all directives and policy actions involving LGU operations are immediately passed on by their office to all concerned.
The official said they’re hoping that the area’s LGUs will continue with their good governance practices and eventually qualify for some awards and incentives that are channeled through the Seal of Good Housekeeping project.
“We consider this as a big accomplishment for the (DILG) provincial office, the provincial government and our 10 towns and lone city. For me, this is more that the cash bonus that we are getting this Christmas,” she added. (MindaNews)