BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – The city government received the 2023 Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping (SGFH) from the Bureau of Local Government Supervision of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Mayor Jerry Treñas said he was honored and humbled to receive such a remarkable achievement of passing the GFH assessment.
He said the recognition is a testament to the city’s “unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and adherence to state auditor’s accounting and auditing standards and the DILG’s full disclosure policy.”
“It is a reflection of our dedication to responsible financial administration, ensuring that the resources entrusted to us are managed with utmost prudence and integrity,” said Treñas.
He continued, “This achievement serves as a reminder of the collective efforts of our city government, our dedicated public servants, and the support of our constituents. It is through our collaborative endeavors that we have achieved this milestone, setting a benchmark for good governance practices in our beloved city”.
The SGFH is awarded to local government units (LGUs) that exhibit transparency, accountability, and good financial management practices.
The good housekeeping standards is a vital component of the prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), which recognizes and honors LGUs that exhibit excellence in various areas of governance.
“Let us continue to work hand in hand, guided by the principles of good governance, as we build a brighter and more prosperous future for Iloilo City and its residents,” said Treñas.
All the LGUs in the country are assessed annually based on the available audit opinion of the Commission on Audit and compliance with the full disclosure policy.
The DILG revealed that all provinces in Western Visayas — Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, and Guimaras – passed the GFH assessment and were also compliant with sound financial practices.
Aside from Iloilo City, 14 more cities in the region were given the 2023 SGFH: Roxas in Capiz; Passi in Iloilo; and Bago, Cadiz, Escalante, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, Sagay, San Carlos, Silay, Sipalay, Talisay, Victorias, and Bacolod in Negros Occidental.
Likewise, 17 Aklan municipalities, 12 towns from Antique and 11 from Capiz also passed the SGFH.
In Guimaras, the towns of Buenavista, Jordan, Nueva Valencia, San Lorenzo, and Sibunag passed, too.
Since its inception in 2010, the GFH has served as an assessment tool used to measure the performance of the local government in terms of establishing citizen engagement through a transparent reporting of public budget and expenditures.
The GFH is also one of the core components of the Seal of Good Local Governance which employs a more comprehensive evaluation of the administrative capacity-building efforts of the local government./PN
