FORT its relentless pursuit for sustainable progress and exemplary public service policies, Malabon City has emerged as one of the top recipients of the 2017 Seal of Good Local Governance.
Deemed as the highest accolade given to LGUs that consistently passed all assessment areas, the SGLG symbolizes integrity and good performance through continuing governance reform and sustained local development.
Under Mayor Antolin Oreta III, Malabon City is honored to have earned the award twice – the first in 2015 (along with the issuance of Good Financial Housekeeping Certification) and the most recent last November, the LGU said in a statement.
The award was presented to Oreta by DILG OIC Catalino Cuy, with Undersecretaries Eduardo Ano and Austere Panadero, DILG NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin and Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Francis Tolentino.
As SGLG awardee, Malabon City shall be entitled access to the Performance Challenge Fund meant to subsidize various city projects.
The cash incentive will be used to sustain the health projects of the city, one of which is a modern birthing facility to help monitor the first 1,000 days of children, starting from the womb, it said in the statement.
According to Oreta, the citation validates the City Government’s concerted efforts.
“Considering the stricter set of assessment criteria that needed to be satisfied and, of course, the challenges that came in the way, we are very honored and fortunate to be awarded the SGLG. I think constant communication and collaboration among city officials, agencies, as well as close, efficient coordination with on-the-ground people greatly helped us reach this endeavor,” he said.
“When I started out as mayor, what I did first is to create the mission-vision of the city. All the department heads contributed to formulating this vision. To fully translate this vision and its entire meaning, we crafted the Tagalog vision ‘Maging Mapagkalingang Pamahalaan sa Maginhawa at Masayang Malabonian, meaning we must do whatever we can to deliver on our promise, to be of great service to all Malabonians,” added Oreta.
Prior to bagging the 2017 SGLG, Malabon City had to meet first the upgraded overall assessment criteria set forth by DILG.
Under the new “4+1”, four core areas (financial administration, social protection, disaster preparedness, and peace and order) and at least one essential area (either Business Friendliness and Competitiveness, Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Environmental Management).
In the case of Malabon, it has met the four core areas and all three essential areas.
One cornerstone project is the Malabon Tricycle Food and Heritage Tour which played a great role in promoting the city, its artists, the food businesses, and its rich culinary heritage.
“When we embarked on this tourism project, our main goal was to help tricycle drivers’ income. This project blossomed into a highly successful initiative. In fact, it earned us another prestigious merit, the Meralco Luminaries award,” Oreta said.
Incremental also to this success are the various collective initiatives that have been undertaken to adopt the needed reforms.