The 2022 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) gave the Quezon City government another reason to work harder for its constituents.

QC last won the SGLG in 2019 before its temporary suspension due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.

Of the 17 local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR), five passed the DILG criteria — Muntinlupa, Caloocan, Mandaluyong, Navotas, and QC.

There are 350 SGLG awardees this year, consisting of 18 provinces, 60 cities and 272 municipalities.

Overall, the DILG assessed 81 provinces, 146 cities, and 1,488 municipalities.

“We are humbled and honored by the DILG’s recognition. This would inspire the city government to work even harder to further improve our governance and enhance the delivery of services to our constituents,” QC Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a news release on Tuesday.

The SGLG, established by virtue of Republic Act 11292, is an award, incentive and recognition-based program for LGUs nationwide to continually progress and improve their performance in the areas of financial administration; disaster preparedness; social protection and sensitivity program; health compliance and responsiveness; programs for sustainable education; business friendliness and competitiveness; safety, peace and order; environmental management, tourism, heritage development, culture and arts; and youth development.

“The SGLG puts premium on integrity and good performance to institutionalize good governance reforms in the continuing pursuit for meaningful local autonomy and development,” the DILG said.

The Seal has been instrumental in upholding transparency and accountability, cultivating progressive actions in addressing emerging concerns, and influencing behavior in supporting national and international development goals, according to the DILG.

QC also bagged awards during the 2022 Urban Governance Exemplar Awards given by the DILG-NCR.

These are Local Council for the Protection of Children Ideal Level of Functionality, Functional Peace and Order Council; High Functional Anti-Drug Abuse Council; Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and Children Ideal Level of functionality; and three top performer awards in the Manila Bay Clean up, Rehabilitation and Preservation Program’s Liquid Waste Management Cluster, Informal Settler Families Cluster, and and Moderate Compliance. (PNA)