The City of Santa Rosa in Laguna has been conferred with the Seal of Good Local Governance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the third straight year.
Santa Rosa is one of the 57 cities in the country to receive the award from the DILG.
Receiving the award on November 5 at The Manila Hotel were Mayor Arlene B. Arcillas, her predecessor and current Laguna 1st District Rep. Danilo Ramon Fernandez, and City Director Melody Barairo.
“This is the third consecutive year that the city received the award, and I am really very proud since the Seal recognizes remarkable performance of a local government unit, which means that we are doing it right in the City of Santa Rosa,” said Arcillas in an interview.
The SGLG symbolizes integrity and good performance through continuing governance reform and sustained local development.
The seven local governance areas under which local government units were assessed include the following: Financial Administration; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection; Peace and Order; Business-friendliness and Competitiveness; Environmental Management; and Tourism, Culture and the Arts.
A total of 380 LGUs were awarded with Seal”•17 provinces, 57 cities, and 306 municipalities.
Prior to this, the city also received the Seal of Good Local Governance: Good Financial Housekeeping in 2015; the Seal of Good Housekeeping Silver Grade in 2014; and the Seal of Good Housekeeping Bronze Level in 2011.
Arcillas expressed her thanks to the city government offices and national offices that helped the city secure the award for the third consecutive year.
“Like in the recent years, we also accept the challenge that comes with this award and that is to do better to get a higher ranking so we can give a more enhanced public service to our people,” the mayor said.
As an awardee, the city will receive the 2019 SGLG marker; eligibility to the DILG Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) to finance local development projects; and priority access to other programs and capacity development assistance from the DILG.
The city government and the DILG also recently recognized barangays in Santa Rosa through the Seal of Good Local Governance for Barangay (SGLGB) and Functional Assessment Award.
The awarding was held on October 28 during the Monday morning flag raising ceremony at the City Hall Grounds.
Regional Director Elias Fernandez, Jr. of DILG IV-A and Lionel Dalope, DILG Special Assistant to the Regional Director, attended the awarding.
According to DILG Memorandum Circular 2018-194 dated November 6, the SGLGB is an award and incentive program for performing barangay governments in the areas of Peace and Order, Financial Administration, Disaster Preparedness, Social Protection, Business-Friendliness and Competitiveness, and Environmental Management.
Its purpose is to institutionalize a system of recognition and incentives for barangay governments and to provide mechanics for possible access to PCF.
Out of the 18 barangays in the city, 14 passed the SGLGB assessment: Aplaya, Balibago, Caingin, Dila, Dita, Don Jose, Ibaba, Labas, Macabling, Market Area, Pulong Sta. Cruz, Sinalhan, Sto. Domingo and Tagapo.
The six barangays that topped the assessment were awarded with the 2019 SGLGB and received incentives from the city government. These were barangays Labas and Tagapo (Rank 1); Dila, Dita and Sto. Domingo (Rank 2), and Pulong Sta. Cruz (Rank 3).
The barangays that ranked first received a P1-million worth of development program and P100,000 cash incentives. The three barangays that ranked second received P75,000 cash incentives and P50,000 for the barangay that ranked third.
For the Functional Assessment Award, Barangays Aplaya, Sto. Domingo and Tagapo were awarded as Best Performing Barangay Development Council; Brgy. Don Jose as Best Performing Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC); and Brgy. Labas as Best Performing Violence Against Women (VAW) Desk.
“We wanted to give rewards and incentives to barangays as our way of giving thanks to them for raising the level of governance in their areas,” Arcillas said during the awarding.
The mayor also encouraged the barangays to excel more in preparation for next year, referring to House Bill 08719 which she authored in Congress and is now known as Republic Act 11292 or the Seal of Good Local Governance Act of 2019.
Arcillas served as Representative of the First District of Laguna in years 2016-2019.
