Thirty-five local government units (LGUs) in Western Visayas are recipients of the 2023 Seal of Good Local Governance Incentive Fund (SGLGIF) totaling PHP76.3 million during the ceremonial rollout turnover led by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Tuesday.
The recipients included provinces of Aklan, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental for the provincial category at PHP4 million each, and Passi, Bacolod, San Carlos, Talisay, Victorias, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan and Sagay for the city category at PHP2.3 million each.
Further, the municipalities of Lambunao, Mina, Pavia, Anilao, Bingawan and Concepcion from Iloilo; Patnongon, San Remigio, Sibalom, Barbaza, Caluya and Libertad of Antique; Banga, Buruanga, Ibajay, Kalibo, Malay and New Washington from Aklan; La Castellana and Manapla from Negros Occidental; Dumarao of Capiz and Nueva Valencia of Guimaras received PHP1.8 million each for the municipal category.
Vice Mayor Arvin Losaria, who received the incentive for Lambunao, said the fund will be for the concreting of an ancillary road in Brgy. Agsirab, one of the town’s far-flung villages.
“The ancillary road is part of our strategy to hasten the transport of goods to the main road. It will benefit constituents of the barangay; almost 70 percent of the residents are into farming,” he said in an interview on Wednesday.
For the second time, the municipality was conferred the seal after passing indicators in financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, peace and order, business friendliness and competitiveness, environmental management, tourism, culture, and the arts.
“The criteria and barometers are the quantifiable measurements to know the direction of the municipality in terms of governance. The advantage is you would be able to get funding support further from other line agencies and other funding agencies,” he said.
Losaria said the challenge would be for them to continue being more innovative with their strategies in other aspects like agriculture.
DILG Assistant Regional Director Maria Calpiza Sardua led the release of the incentive fund at this city’s Diversion 21 Hotel.
The ceremony culminated with the recipients signing a pledge of commitment to be transparent with their project implementation. (PNA)
