PNoy graces ARMM LGUs convention, witnesses awarding of SGH to 13 municipal LGUs

By Carina L. Cayon

DAVAO CITY, June 20 (PIA) – President Benigno S. Aquino III witnessed here today the awarding of the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) citation to each of the 13 municipal local government recipients from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Aquino graced the ARMM Convention on Local Governance held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel, Davao City, where the SGH awardees received plaque of recognition from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)

Each recipient also accepted P1 million check sourced from the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF), an incentive given to LGUs for passing the SGH.

Five of the SGH recipients are first to third class municipalities namely: Datu Odin Sinsuat, Parang, Upi and Sultan Kudarat of Maguindanao province, and Wao of Lanao del Sur.

The eight awardees are 4th to 5th class municipalities such as Pandami and Panglima Estino of Sulu province, Mamasapano, Guindulungan, Talayan, Paglat, Sultan Mastura and Datu Saudi Ampatuan, all of Maguindanao province.

The PCF is an incentive provided to the local government units for passing the SGH conditions which are anchored on the LGU’s sound fiscal management.

Aquino commended those LGUs that received the PCF subsidy this year, raising his confidence that the funds would be used to further the development in the communities.

“Nawa’y dumami pa ang mga tulad ninyong huwaran ng maaasahang paglilingkod at kaisa natin sa paggawa ng tama para sa kapwa,” ( Hope that your numbers would increase, models of trustworthy service and our partners in doing good for our brethren) he stated in his keynote speech during the ARMM LGUs gathering.

The President bared that since 2010 to 2011, there were already 425 LGUs in the entire country that were given the PCF incentive that reached to P520 million.

“Makatarungan lang naman pong magbuhos tayo ng pondo sa mga karapat-dapat at nagpapakitang-gilas sa serbisyo-publiko,” (It is fair, that we allocate funds to the rightful recipients and those who showed their ability in public service ) he said.

DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo together with ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman headed the awarding of the SGH citations during the convention which were attended by around 200 officials and employees from ARMM, officials and representatives from the national agencies, and international sponsors such as the USAID and the Asia Foundation.

Awarding the SGH and providing incentive to deserving LGUs is a commitment of DILG to “aggressively scale up interventions in elevating the practice of governance that values transparency, accountability, participation and performance into an institutionalized status.”

The priority LGUs for this undertaking are those with low income and with high poverty incidence.

As an incentive fund, the PCF is given to the LGU as a counterpart funding for local development projects which are incorporated in the Annual Investment Program (AIP) and should be consistent with the national goals and priorities. (PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon)