THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) recognized the Municipal Government of Guagua headed by Mayor Dante Torres for passing six out of seven key areas in the Local Governance Assessment Areas for the year 2018 in terms of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).

The SGLG award is the “conferment of a seal to local governments units (LGUs) that adhere to performance criteria on any of the following areas: good financial housekeeping (GFH), disaster preparedness, social protection for the basic sector, business-friendliness and competitiveness, environmental management, and law and order and public safety.”

The municipality passed in areas of financial administration, disaster preparedness, peace and order, business-friendliness and competitiveness, environmental management, tourism, and culture and the arts.

Torres said that the recognition is a testament to his administration’s continuing support for good governance in the town. He added that his administration will continuously strive for inclusive and overall growth of the different sectors of this town.

Passing the seal entitles a local government unit to access the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) for this year, allowing it to secure the GFH Certification for loan purposes and provides an opportunity to avail of other national program windows like Bottom-Up Budgeting Program.

The PCF is an incentive fund to LGUs in the form of counterpart funding to high-impact capital investment projects in the Annual Investment Program and the 20 percent development fund consistent with national priorities.

It is open to all provinces, cities and municipalities awarded with the Seal of Good Housekeeping provided that the LGU shall allocate a counterpart fund to implement capital investment projects aligned with the national development agenda and priorities.