Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo M. Año urges continued financial transparency in local government units (LGUs) as he lauded 1,522 LGUs for passing the stringent Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) nationwide assessment of the DILG.
“Binabati ko ang 1,522 LGUs na nakapasa sa 2019 GFH. Continue the good work towards financial transparency that the people who voted for you rightfully deserve,” Año said.
“These passers composed 89% of the total number of LGUs. Malaking bahagdan ang pumasa sa GFH na nagpapakita lamang ng mas maayos na financial management sa mga pamahalaang lokal,” he added.
Año said that passing the GFH is a feat in itself as it involves stern requirements and a nod from the Commission on Audit (COA). It is also one of the criteria in awarding the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), he added.
For LGUs to pass the GFH, they must comply with the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP) by posting important financial documents in three conspicuous places and in the FDP Portal for all the quarters of CY 2018 and the 1st quarter of CY 2019 posting period documents; and the LGU must have a favorable COA Audit Opinion, as posted in the COA website, for 2017 or 2018.
He said that from the 86% of passers last year constituting 1,481 LGUs, this year’s 3% increase or additional 41 passers is a good development for local governance and efficient and transparent financial management.
“Bahagi ng pagiging mahusay na pamahalaang lokal ang maayos na pamamalakad at pamamahala sa kaban ng bayan. With the increase of GFH passers, we can be assured of better financial administration which hopefully translates to improved services for the citizens,” he pointed out.
The DILG Chief said that most LGUs validated from various regions of the country registered high compliance percentage. He said Region XI led with a 100% passing rate with all its five provinces, six cities, and 43 municipalities making the cut.
Regions I, IV-A, are not far behind with 98% and 97% passing rate apiece, while Regions II, III, X, and XII all received a 96% passing rate followed by NCR which got 94%; 92% for Region IX; Regions VI and VIII both got 91%; and Region XIII had 90%. MIMAROPA, CAR, Regions V, VII and BARMM each received 85%, 82%, 81% 73%, and 69%, respectively.
Regions IV-A, VIII, III, I, and VII have the most LGU passers with 143, 136, 131, 126, and 110 each. Nine BARMM municipalities, including LGUs from Lanao Del Sur namely Bubong, Malabang, Mulondo, Poona Bayabao, Tugaya, Lumbayanague, Tagoloan, and Turtle Islands and Mapun from Tawi-Tawi, were not included due to peace and order concerns.
Meanwhile, Año also encouraged the 184 that failed to pass the 2019 GFH to not be discouraged but see it more as a challenge and “ensure that by next year, their LGUs will be included in the list.”
“This will only make your service and fiscal management better. Marami namang nagdaan d’yan (non-inclusion in the GFH list of passers). Learn, grow and come back stronger,” he said
