A total of 714 local government units (LGUs) across the country have qualified for the 2023 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for complying with standards of efficient leadership and outstanding public service, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced Tuesday.

In a statement, the DILG said the 714 LGUs was the highest number of awardees in the history of SGLG.

The 714 LGU awardees are composed of 41 provinces, 96 cities, and 577 municipalities.

A total of 22 LGUs are 8-time winners, while 135 are SGLG first-timers.

Among all the regions of the country, Region 3 (Central Luzon) garnered the highest number of SGLG winners with 106, followed by Region 1(Ilocos Region) with 83, and Region 6 (Western Visayas) with 62.

The SGLG is an institutionalized recognition-based program for excellent governance by LGUs.

All LGU awardees shall receive an SGLG marker and SGLG Incentive Fund to finance local development initiatives that can further national goals and strategic thrusts.

The DILG emphasized that this year’s assessment has been upgraded to include more outcome-based criteria to distinguish and incentivize good performance that meets the demands of public accountability and reform.

To receive the SGLG award, LGUs must pass the assessment criteria across various governance areas – financial administration; disaster preparedness; social protection and sensitivity; health compliance and responsiveness; sustainable education; business-friendliness and competitiveness; safety, peace, and order; environmental management; tourism, heritage development, culture, and the arts; and youth development. (PNA)