While only about 25 percent of local government units (LGUs) bagged the coveted Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) this year, more than 90 percent of the LGUs met the Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) standards.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Officer-in-Charge Catalino S. Cuy says meeting the GFH standard means an LGU has adhered to accounting and auditing standards and has also complied with the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP) of local budget and finances, bids and public offerings.
“The SGLG is not easily up for grabs. LGUs have to work hard and show that they have what it takes to bag the Seal,” says Cuy.
He says that to pass the GFH standards, the LGUs must have no 2015 qualified and unqualified opinion from the Commission on Audit (COA). They are also required to post their financial records in three conspicuous places like public market, municipal hall bulletin board, etc. Likewise, LGUs must post the same in the FDP online portal.
The GFH is one of the factors being considered for an LGU to pass the first core area of SGLG which is Financial Administration. The other three areas are disaster preparedness, social protection, and peace and order. Aside from the four core areas, LGUs need to pass at least one of the essential areas namely, business friendliness and competitiveness; environmental management; and tourism, culture and the arts.
Last week, 448 LGUs that were able to pass the key good governance areas earned the distinction of becoming SGLG awardees and were recognized during the awarding rites at the Manila Hotel.
Based on records obtained from the Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS), all 129 local government units (LGUs) in Ilocos Region and 54 LGUs in SOCCKSARGEN are GFH passers.
Only one LGU in Caraga’s 78 LGUs and in Davao region’s 54 LGUs did not pass the GFH assessment.
Three regions got 97% GFH passing rate with 95 out of 98 LGUs in Cagayan Valley, 133 out of 137 LGUs in Central Luzon, and 135 out of 139 LGUs on Western Visayas.
Central Visayas and Eastern Visayas both garnered 94% GFH rating with 128 out of 136 LGUs in Central Visayas and 140 out of 149 LGUs in Eastern Visayas making it to the list.
In Cordillera Administrative Region, 77 (93%) out of 83 LGUs made it while 69 (92%) out of 75 LGUs in Zamboanga clinched the GFH list.
In Northern Mindanao, 89 (91%) out of 89 LGUs passed the assessment and 70 (90%) out of 78 LGUs in MIMAROPA made it to the cut.
Bicol region got 89% rating with 107 out of 120 LGUs; 15 (88%) out of 83 LGUs in National Capital Region; and another 129 (88%) out of 147 LGUs in CALABARZON also made it to the cut.
Cuy also says that more and more LGUs in ARMM are now part of the GFH assessment.
From just 82 LGUs last year, all 123 ARMM LGUs are included in the 2017 round of GFH assessment.
Overall, a total of 1,563 (91%) of the 1,715 LGUs assessed made it to the GFH list. Of these, 79 are provinces, 137 are cities and 1,347 are municipalities.
“This is a very good indication that majority of the LGUs are now keeping their financial procedures and records in order,” says Cuy. (DILG-PR)
