Seventeen (17) local government units (LGUs) in Region XIII – Caraga are awardees for this year’s Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG). Among the twenty-seven (27) LGUs in the region visited by national validators for the SGLG National Validation, these 17 LGUs made its way after the rigorous process of performance assessment:

• Province of Agusan del Norte
• City of Surigao, Surigao del Norte
• City of Tandag, Surigao del Sur
• Municipality of Santiago, Agusan del Norte
• Municipality of Talacogon, Agusan del Sur
• Municipality of Trento, Agusan del Sur
• Municipality of Veruela, Agusan del Sur
• Municipality of Claver, Surigao del Norte
• Municipality of Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte
• Municipality of Sison, Surigao del Norte
• Municipality of Cagwait, Surigao del Sur
• Municipality of Carmen, Surigao del Sur
• Municipality of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur
• Municipality of Basilisa, Dinagat Islands
• Municipality of Cagdianao, Dinagat Islands
• Municipality of San Jose, Dinagat Islands
• Municipality of Tubajon, Dinagat Islands

This year - 2022 is the first year of the full-blown implementation of Republic Act No. 11292, known as the SGLG Act of 2019 para sa Pagkilala sa Katapatan at Kahusayan ng Pamahalaang Lokal.

The Seal is a recognition for the LGU's journey towards good local governance.  It is both a symbol and responsibility to relentlessly uphold the principles of accountability, honesty, transparency, service and sustainable development in local government units (LGUs).

Taking off from the previous SGLG Assessment way back in 2019, as year 2020 SGLG Assessment was officially suspended because of the grueling challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, while year 2021 was the year of the SGLG Pilot Field Test, this year carries on the first year of up-scaled implementation raising the SGLG’s Bar of Excellence of measuring the performance of Local Government Units (LGUs) from Seven (7) to Ten (10) Governance Areas:

1. Financial Administration
2. Disaster Preparedness
3. Social Protection and Sensitivity Programs
4. Safety, Peace and Order
5. Business-Friendliness and Competitiveness
6. Environmental Management
7. Tourism, Heritage Development, Culture and Arts
8. Programs for Sustainable Education (new)
9. Health Compliance and Responsiveness (new)
10. Youth Development (new)

The Seal now shifts its focus to a results-based parameters that would influence behavioral change. This will include output-outcome indicators and exacting accountability from supervising LGUs, such as provincial government’s supervision over its component cities and municipalities, and cities / municipalities’ supervision over barangays. The SGLG Act also encourages our LGUs to facilitate a holistic approach to development by passing all ten (10) Governance Areas.

LGUs must be “ALL-IN” by passing all the ten (10) assessment areas, otherwise, they will not get the Seal or fail in the Assessment.

This year’s LGU Awardees or SGLG Recipients are eligible to the SGLG Incentive Fund (SGLG-IF), formerly known as the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), to finance local development initiatives in furtherance of national goals and strategic thrusts.

(LGOO VI Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa, DILG XIII)