Legarda Lauds Antique for Receiving Seal of Good Local Governance

Senator Loren Legarda lauded the local government of her home province of Antique, led by Governor Rhodora Cadiao, for receiving the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) 2018 Seal of Good Local Governance.

Antique is among the 17 provinces awarded for 2018. It is the first time that the province has received the Seal since the initial conferment of the award in 2015.

“I congratulate the provincial government and Governor Dodod Cadiao for her effective governance that led to Antique’s first Seal of Good Local Governance award. I am proud of my province because, while it is the first time it was conferred the award, this year’s criteria is the most stringent to date,” said Legarda.

The Senator also congratulated the local government units (LGUs) of three municipalities of Antique that received the Seal: San Jose de Buenavista, Culasi and Bugasong.

During the awarding ceremony, the province was cited for its efforts to bring government services closer to the people and for its aspiration for the socio-economic upliftment of every Antiqueño and the eco-tourism development of the province.

“This is just the beginning for our beautiful province. We have many more programs for Antique and I have been working with the provincial government to ensure that all towns benefit from the government’s programs and all concerns of Antiqueños are being addressed. Our aim is to make the province and all its municipalities sustainably progressive and inclusive,” said Legarda.

According to the DILG, the Seal of Good Local Governance “symbolizes integrity and good performance through continuing governance reform and sustained local development. It is a progressive assessment system adopted by the Department to give distinction to remarkable local government performance across seven governance areas.”

To qualify for the award, an LGU must pass the criteria in all seven governance areas: (1) Financial Administration; (2) Disaster Preparedness; (3) Social Protection; (4) Peace and Order; (5) Business-friendliness and Competitiveness; (6) Environmental Management; and (7) Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

In the previous year, LGUs need to pass the four core areas and one essential area. But for 2018, LGUs must pass the criteria in all seven governance areas.

All awardees are conferred with markers and they are entitled to access the Performance Challenge Fund to help finance development projects.