De Lima lauds 380 LGUs awarded with good local governance seal

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has lauded some 380 Local Government Units (LGUs) for receiving this year's Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) award in recognition of their exemplary performance in providing better public services to the people.

De Lima, who chairs the Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development, said she is pleased that more LGUs managed to get the highest standards in public service this year compared to last year.

"Binabati po natin ang mga lokal na pamahalaan na binigyang pagkilala at parangal para sa kanilang mabuting pamamahala at de-kalidad na serbisyo sa kanilang mga nasasakupan," she said.

"Gayumpaman, umaasa tayo na madagdagan pa ang mga LGUs na makatatalima sa mga pamantayan at mabibigyan ng ganitong insentibo, tungo sa mas marami pang matagumpay na inisyatiba sa kani-kanilang lokalidad," she added.

The lady Senator, however, lamented that more than 50 percent of the 1,715 LGUs all over the country failed to pass the criteria for good local governance.

According to her, while LGU passers went up to 380 this year from last year's 263, the 380 awardees for SGLG conferred by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is still "way below" the total of 1,715 LGUs across the country.

Note that the criteria for the SGLG award include financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, peace and order, business-friendliness and competitiveness, environmental protection, and tourism, culture and the arts.

De Lima, a social justice and human rights champion, explained that the consecutive low turnout of LGU passers for two years only proves that LGUs need to improve a lot in terms of governance and public service.

"Ibig sabihin lamang nito na kailangan pang magsikap ng mga LGUs upang tuluyang mapabuti ang kalagayan ng mga mamamayan sa kanilang nasasakupan, at higit sa lahat ay mapuksa ang katiwalian sa gobyerno," she said.

The Senator, likewise, urged LGUs, including those who did not make it to this year's SGLG award, to exert extra effort to improve the lives of people in their jurisdiction and ensure that the "forces of evil will not reign" in our country.

"Maging hamon at inspirasyon sana sa ating lahat ang nakamit ng 380 LGUs para mapagtagumpayan natin ang pagsugpo sa katiwalian at makahikayat ng higit na mabuting paglilingkod sa mamamayan na walang bahid ng kasakiman at katiwalian," she said.

"With this award, it is my hope that LGUs would continue reaching out to the people in their jurisdiction by being aware about their needs and providing effective solutions to their concerns," she added.

Under the leadership of Mr. Duterte which is reminiscent of the fascist dictatorship, killings, corruption and human rights abuses have become rampant as his allies in national and local government continue to tolerate these abuses.

De Lima, who remains detained on trumped-up drug charges brought up against her by the Duterte administration, continues to fulfill her Senate duties by filing bills and resolutions in detention.