THE Cebu City Government failed to receive the 2016 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), a recognition that challenges local government units to continue good governance practices while providing better services.
City Administrator Veronica Morelos said the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) informed her that the City failed in some aspects of the SGLG.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, for his part, said the failure ratings don’t bother him, adding that he will just concentrate on his work.
“I’m not worried about any award. I’m worried about raising our income. I’m worried about our tax collection. I’m worried about our traffic. I’m not trying to win in (a) dance contest here. I don’t need any award. I’ll just work. I will answer to the Cebuanos,” he said.
The SGLG maintains the primary requirement of meeting the standards of three core areas like financial administration, social protection and disaster preparedness, and at least one of the essential areas.
Repercussion
Because of the failure ratings, Morelos said the City might not get financial assistance from some government agencies.
In an information she got from the DILG, Morelos said the City failed in the aspect of financial administration and disaster preparedness.
Although the award was given this year, the evaluation and assessment periods were based on last year’s transactions.
When sought for comment, former mayor Michael Rama said former city treasurer Diwa Cuevas is in a better position to answer.
On the aspect of financial administration, Morelos said the City failed because of the adverse opinion issued by the Commission on Audit on some of its expenses last year.
DILG recommended that the City should improve its financial management and improve its collection and remittance of Government Service Insurance System loans.
On disaster preparedness, DILG said the City should create a disaster risk reduction management office, or department, with the required plantilla positions.
The City Government, though, passed in two other core areas.
This means the City will qualify to avail itself of selected programs offered by national agencies, Morelos said.
“We have yet to receive those certificates, hopefully, by November we can get them already,” she said.