CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – A total of 127 local government units (LGUs) in Central Luzon passed the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) standards for Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) in 2022.
Based on the list released by the DILG, the GFH passers in the region comprise seven provinces, 13 cities that include two highly urbanized cities (HUCs) and 107 municipalities.
Central Luzon, together with Western Visayas are among the regions with the most number of GFH passers in 2022.
“Congratulations to the 127 LGUs in Central Luzon who passed the 2022 Good Financial Housekeeping,” DILG Central Luzon Regional Director Anthony C. Nuyda said in a statement.
He noted that it is an indication of how local officials and employees have been performing well in terms of internal financial housekeeping based on standards set by the national government.
He urged the GFH passers to sustain their good performance and to thrive even more in 2023.
Likewise, he encouraged other local government units (LGUs) in the region to follow the example set by GFH passers and to strive for excellence in financial management.
All the seven provinces in the region -- Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales -- passed the good financial housekeeping standards.
The cities that passed were Balanga in Bataan; Angeles, San Fernando and Mabalacat in Pampanga; Cabanatuan, Gapan, Science City of Muñoz and San Jose in Nueva Ecija; Malolos, Meycauayan and San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan; Tarlac in Tarlac and Olongapo in Zambales.
On the other hand, the municipal governments in the region that passed the GFH standards were Baler, Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan, Dingalan, Dipaculao, Maria Aurora and San Luis in Aurora; Abucay, Bagac, Dinalupihan, Hermosa, Limay, Mariveles, Morong, Orani, Orion, Pilar and Samal in Bataan; Angat, Balagtas, Baliwag, Bocaue, Bulakan, Bustos, Calumpit, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Guinguinto, Hagonoy, Marilao, Obando, Pandi, Paombong, Plaridel, Pulilan, San Ildefonso, San Miguel, San Rafael and Santa Maria in Bulacan;
Bongabon, Cabiao, Cuyapo, Gabaldon, Gen. Natividad, Gen. Tinio, Guimba, Laur, Licab, Llanera, Lupao, Nampicuan, Quezon, Rizal, San Antonio, San Leonardo, Sta. Rosa, Sto. Domingo, Talavera and Zaragoza, in Nueva Ecija; Apalit, Arayat, Bacolor, Candaba, Floridablanca, Guagua, Lubao, Macabebe, Magalang, Masantol, Mexico, Minalin, Porac, San Luis, San Simon, Sta. Ana, Sta. Rita, Sto. Tomas and Sasmuan in Pampanga; Anao, Bamban, Camiling, Capas, Concepcion, Gerona, La Paz, Mayantoc, Moncada, Paniqui, Pura, Ramos, San Clemente, San Jose, San Manuel, Sta. Ignacia and Victoria in Tarlac; and Botolan, Cabangan, Candelaria, Castillejos, Masinloc, Palauig, San Antonio, San Felipe, San Marcelino, San Narciso, Sta. Cruz and Subic in Zambales.
GFH, formerly the Seal of Good Housekeeping, refers to the compliance of the LGUs with accounting and auditing standards, rules and regulations.
To pass good financial housekeeping standards, the LGUs must receive qualified and unqualified opinion from the Commission on Audit (COA) and at least 30 percent of these opinions has been acted upon, and compliance with the full disclosure policy of local budget and finances, bids and public offerings posting in three conspicuous places and in the Full Disclosure Policy Portal (FDPP).
GFH is also a component of the Financial Administration (FA), one of the seven assessment areas of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).
An LGU must pass all the seven areas -- financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, peace and order, business friendliness and competitiveness, environmental management and tourism culture and the arts -- for it to be conferred with the SGLG. (PNA)
