GOOD GOVERNANCE. Mati City Mayor Michelle Rabat (5th from left) receives the Seal of Good Local Governance Award from the national government on Dec. 15, 2022 during the awarding ceremony at the Manila Hotel. The cities of Digos in Davao del Sur and Samal in Davao del Norte also received the same accolade. (Photo from Mati CIO)
DAVAO CITY – Three cities in the Davao Region received the Seal of Good Local Governance Award from the Department of the Interior and Local Government during the awarding ceremony held at the Manila Hotel on Thursday.
The cities of Mati in Davao Oriental, Samal in Davao del Norte, and Digos in Davao del Sur were among the 352 awardees from all over the country during the event.
Mayors Michelle Rabat of Mati, Al David Uy of Samal, and Josef Fortich Cagas of Digos received PHP7 million each as incentive from the national government.
In 2019, then-President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed into law an act establishing and institutionalizing the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) for local government units (LGUs).
"To note that the SGLG is now a law, this is the first time and Mati made it," Rabat said.
The SGLG refers to an award, incentive, honor, and recognition for LGUs in their continuing commitment to progress through improved performance.
The three cities have complied with the criteria of the prestigious award from seven components - disaster resilience, social protection, peace and order, business friendliness and competitiveness, financial administration, environmental management, and tourism, culture and the arts.
Adding to the criteria are three governance pillars that included sustainable education, health compliance and responsiveness, and youth development.
The provinces of Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental were also among the awardees. (PNA)
