Badge of excellence

By LOUI MALIZA
Padayon Pilipino . 

UNDER the watch of a young provincial governor, Misamis Oriental has won one too many awards of national significance. Because of this feat, Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano has earned the respect of his peers and the national leadership. Undoubtedly, Emano has carved his name in the granite stone as an outstanding governor after setting a record by winning twice (2015 and 2017) the coveted Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award.

There is every reason to be envious because only the LGUs without an adverse opinion from the Commissions on Audit (COA) are eligible to be considered in the SGLG award. This eligibility is parallel to the mandate that the LGU must be “transparent and accountable” in consonance with the adoption of the “Full Disclosure” policy. It is, therefore, clear that an LGU whose governor or mayor is facing graft charges would hardly qualify for an SGLG award.

There are the notions that a corrupt LGU thrives in shady deals that “transparency” is a taboo and a hated value. Understandably, the Local Government Code of 1991 has specifically included the provision of the SGLG award in order to straighten up a graftidden LGU.

Granting without admitting that an LGU could comply with all the “core” criteria to be eligible for the SGLG, the LGU would hardly be eligible if its elected governor or mayor is facing anti-graft charges.

Being a recipient of two SGLGs illustrates that Misamis Oriental earned the “badge of excellence” for a well-managed LGU. Kudos to Gov. Emano for a job well done. Emano’s administration displays an impeccable adherence to the DILG’s core of excellence in the delivery of public service.

What’s the big deal in winning the SGLG? The SGLG not only symbolizes the LGU’s sound financial housekeeping, it also means a share of the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), a multimillion-peso incentive for local development projects.

The Local Government Code states that the PCF is “an incentive fund to LGUs in the form of counterpart funding to high impact capital investment projects funded out of the 20-percent Local Development Fund (LDF) consistent with national goals and priorities.”

By the way, the “four mandatory core” adopted by the DILG as the criteria for awarding the SGLG has been upgraded in 2018 to “seven mandatory core.” In 2015 and 2017, the DILG identified the “four core mandatory areas,” which are the financial housekeeping, social protection, disaster preparedness, and peace and order. Aside from meeting the four mandatory core areas, the local government unit must also satisfy either one of the “essential assessments, namely, business friendliness and competitiveness, environment and management, and tourism culture and the arts.

In 2018, however, the mandatory core area criterion was changed to “4+1 all in.” In other words, Business Friendliness and Competitiveness, Environment and Management, and Tourism, Culture and Arts were added to the original four mandatory core areas in the selection of SGLG.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año has set the bar higher for the LGUs to be awarded the prized badge starting 2018. With the new standard, the SGLG has become harder to get through. It would test the mettle of the governors of the country’s 81 provinces, including Misamis Oriental.

Steep as the new guidelines might be, Gov. Emano has expressed confidence that the Misamis Oriental’s provincial capitol would, once again, conquer “4+1 all in” SGLG award with flying colors.

“We welcome the DILG’s new SGLG standard as a challenge to our resiliency as public servants in the spirit of transparency and accountability. All eyes are looking at the SGLG award next year,” Emano said.

(Loui Maliza is a staff member at the capitol’s press office.)