Among LGUs in Cebu 1st district Talisay fails to get DILG's Seal of Good Governance

CEBU, Philippines - Only Talisay, a second class city with the biggest population in the first district of Cebu province, failed to get the 2014 Seal of Good Local Governance of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Cebu's first district consists of the local governments of the cities of Talisay, Naga and Carcar and the towns of Minglanilla, San Fernando and Sibonga.

Based on the DILG's official list of SGLG recipients in the pprovince, Carcar City ranked number two, Naga City at number six, Minglanilla at number 23, San Fernando at 30th and Sibonga at 35th.

For former congressman Eduardo Gullas, Talisay's failure to get the SGLG is a challenge for the leadership of incumbent Mayor Johnny De los Reyes.

The SGLG, a scaled-up version of the Seal of Good Housekeeping, recognizes the good performance of LGUs on financial management and on public services, such as disaster preparedness, social protection for the vulnerable sectors, business amity and competitiveness, peace and order, and environmental administration.

Gullas, the first city mayor of Talisay, explained that the "3 plus 1" principle applies to an LGU to be conferred with the SGLG.

This principle means that an LGU must pass the three core assessment areas: 1) good financial housekeeping, disaster preparedness and social protection: 2) at least one from the essential assessment area; and 3) business-friendliness and competitiveness, peace and order, and environmental management.

"If I am the city mayor, I would feel bad. I will be challenged that next time I will be included in the official list of SGLG," Gullas told reporters in yesterday's press conference at University of the Visayas-Main Campus.

In the first district, Talisay was the first to become a city in 2001. Carcar came next on July 7, 2007 and then Naga on September 2, 2007.

In a separate interview with The Freeman, De los Reyes' information officer Cynthia Barrit said that being excluded from the SGLG list does not mean that the city will not strive and improve more on good local governance practices.

"The administration of Mayor De los Reyes will continue to provide better services to the Talisaynons," Barrit said.

The LGUs that will get SGLG will be given incentive through the Performance Challenge Fund for their development projects and additional incentives to implement programs under the Bottoms-Up Budgeting scheme, in collaboration with civil society organizations. /RAE (FREEMAN)