The Province of Davao Oriental has undergone the final stages of the assessment and validation for the most coveted Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), the highest accolade given to a Local Government Unit that embodies excellence in public service and local governance.
On Tuesday, August 23, a team of validators from the national government assessed the provincial government’s performance based on the ten governance areas set under Republic Act 11292 or the SGLG Act of 2019.
Assistant Regional Director Yvette Tolentino-Sunga of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region X, who led the National Validation Team, said that based on their findings, Davao Oriental has a huge potential to pass the Seal, considering it has institutionalized all its best practices in local governance which it established years ago.
However, ARD Sunga clarifies that the final approval of whether an LGU has passed or not will come straight from the Council of Good Local Governance, which is composed of various national agencies. Its decision will be based on the means of verification, the documents, and the actual evaluation of the validating team.
Listed among the few provinces in the country which have qualified for the SGLG national assessment, the province of Davao Oriental also has the most significant number of LGUs in the Davao Region that have qualified for the national evaluation. These LGUs include the municipalities of Cateel, San Isidro, Lupon, Banaybanay, and the City of Mati.
“If you reached the national validation, it speaks a lot that you are doing great,” said ARD Sunga, adding, “It implies that there is a holistic effort of everybody – from the province down to the municipalities. It means they are one in ensuring that they have a standard of excellence in government service.”
The ten governance areas in which every LGU is assessed are the following:
1. Good Fiscal or Financial Administration or Financial Sustainability
2. Disaster Preparedness
3. Health Compliance and Responsiveness
4. Social Protection and Sensitivity Program
5. Programs for Sustainable Education
6. Business friendliness and Competitiveness
7. Safety, Peace and Order
8. Tourism Heritage Development, Culture, and Arts
9. Environmental Management
10. Youth Development
An award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program for all LGUs, the SGLG ensures the continuing commitment of the LGUs to continually progress and improve their performance in terms of public service delivery.
“The SGLG is a means to help the Local Government Units raise the bar of excellence,” said Dir. Sunga.
“Aiming for the Seal is a constant drive for the LGUs to have a progressive effort and sustain the gains of your notable performance being the prime movers in government service,” she added.
Putting a premium on integrity, accountability, and transparency, the SGLG is a testament to an LGU’s outstanding brand of public service, considering it ensures that appropriate services, expected functions, and the needed facilities to support these services are in place, she said.
For her part, Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon lauded the DILG for its effort in pushing LGUs to perform as she believes in what the SGLG stands for, which is to ensure the welfare of the people.
She also vowed to address all the gaps based on the findings of the validation team, correct the lapses, and comply with all governance standards.
She directed all department heads and provincial task forces to “comply with the recommendations and work on further improving our governance in all areas.”
“This all-too-important assessment confirms the quality of our actions and the integrity of our intent in all aspects of governance. It is also an opportunity to continue to learn from the outcomes and to use them appropriately,” said Governor Malanyaon.
Governor Malanyaon, a former Representative in the House of Congress, was instrumental in enacting the SGLG Act into law.
Director Sunga, on the other hand, who served as a former DILG Provincial Director of Davao Oriental, was actively involved in making the province a consistent SGLG passer from 2010-2017. By Karen Lou Deloso | Photos by Eden Jhan LicayanEarlier today, Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon warmly welcomed the courtesy call of the Evaluation Team from the Department of Health (DOH) Central Office together with the Provincial Health Officer II Dr. Reden Bersaldo at the Provincial Capitol.
Governor Malanyaon discussed her provisions and further plans of upgrade for the hospital as she shared how her heart remains steadfast in developing both preventive and curative health measures.
After recognizing the hospital’s application for the Hospital Star Awards with the chance to be recognized as among the best hospitals in the country, the evaluation team is set to visit the site of Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center (DOPMC) today for its validation and evaluation.
The Governor thanked the team for acknowledging the hospital’s application as she is delighted to shower her support especially to the efforts of the healthcare workers as it is among her administration’s thrusts to give people an innovative hospital with best values and practices for providing quality healthcare services for all.
