The Municipality of Quinapondan, Eastern Samar undergoes Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) National Validation on September 13, 2023. The national validation team was led by LGOO VII Rowena R. Acabal from Dinagat Island, Surigao del Sur. In attendance during the validation were the department/unit heads of the concerned areas for evaluation. Present also are members of the Sangunniang Bayan with the Municipal Vice-Mayor. Hon. Leo Jasper Candido and the Municipal Mayor, Hon. Rafael S. Asebias. Here is an excerpt of the message of the Municipal Mayor during the conduct of the SGLG National Validation.
“Good day everyone especially to our special guest National Validator LGOO VII Rowena R. Acabal who came all the way from Dinagat Island, Surigao del Sur.”
“The national government, through the Seal of Good Local Governance Council which is composed of different national government agencies, formulated this performance-based strategy to gauge the performance of different LGU’s such as provinces, cities and municipalities in ten (10) key areas of governance such as 10 Financial Administration and Sustainability; 2) Disaster Preparedness; 3) Social Protection and Sensitivity; 4) Health Compliance and Responsiveness; 50 Sustainable Education; 6) Business Friendliness and Competitiveness; 7) Safety, Peace and Order; 8) Environment Management; 9) Tourism, Heritage Development, Culture and the Arts; and 10) Youth Development. And these areas are what the LGU’s should be able to deliver.”
“So when I came to office as the Municipal Mayor of this municipality on the 1st of July 2016, my mission was to fulfill the promises I made during the campaign period, like fostering excellent leadership and governance, transparency in all transactions, and connectedness to the constituents. And of course to get the most coveted and prestigious award for the LGUs which is the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG). But as I started doing my responsibilities, I tried to learn the over-all status of the LGU vis-à-vis, and also with different local special bodies. And I came to know that there was a lot to be done in order for the LGU to even approximate those deliverables.”
“So from then on, I asked the help, cooperation and dedication of the Members of the Sangguniang Bayan, the Heads of Offices, all employees of the LGU including the Barangay Officials, and they responded well to the call. So that in 2017, the LGU got two awards: the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) and Seal of Good Financial Housekeeping (SGFH). Thereafter, the LGU did it consistently in the succeeding years. And last year, the LGU-Quinapondan got the most prestigious award, the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), the only SGLG Awardee for the entire Province of Eastern Samar. Meaning, the LGU is compliant of all the ten (10) areas of governance. And now, the LGU is again a national nominee for the 2023 SGLG. And I am very confident that we can make it for the second time. The first time we got it, it was sweet. But the second time around is sweeter. And let us continue to pray for this gift. Thank you and God bless us all.”
The Seal of Good Local Governance is an award, incentive, honor and recognition-based program for all LGUs and is a continuing commitment for LGUs to continually progress and improve their performance for the benefit of their constituents.