TACLOBAN CITY-At least 83 local government units in Eastern Visayas have been added in the first semester of this

year in the list of those which are to receive the Seal of Good Housekeeping award from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). This makes a total of 118 LGUs in the region that are complying with the governments standards of good bureaucracy since the SGH program was implemented under the helm of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. Interior and local government regional director Pedro Noval, Jr., however, said 31 LGUs are still far-off with the campaign and have yet to comply with the good governance performance in internal housekeeping set by their agency. But considering the number of those which have already complied with the policy, we can say that majority of LGUs in Eastern Visayas are now heading towards the aims of the present administration for transparency and accountability, he told Leyte-Samar Daily Express in an interview yesterday. Under the said program, LGUs are required to adhere to the two components of SGH such as the Full Disclosure Policy (FDP) and must have no adverse findings from the Commission on Audit (CoA) to receive the Performance Challenge Fund from the government. FDP requires all LGUs to post their budget and finances, bids and public offering in government websites, newspapers of general circulation, or in any conspicuous and appropriate places as a way in promoting transparency and accountability. Provinces who will comply with the conditions will receive P7 million while cities and municipalities can receive at least P3 million and P1 million, respectively. In Leyte province, Noval said 27 municipalities have passed the standards in the first semester of this year; 15 in Southern Leyte; and 14 in Eastern Samar. Noval further informed that 12 LGUs have also qualified in SGH program in Samar; 5 in Northern Samar; and 2 municipalities in Biliran province. These local government units have still to be revalidated by our agency before they can finally be considered as recipients of the incentives, the DILG regional director stressed. He said the incentives of these LGUs will be received next year yet as the funding has still to be appropriated under the agencys 2013 budget. During the recent visit of Robredo in the region last week, at least seven municipalities have formally received the P1 million grant in a formal gathering of local chief executives. The LGUs include Alang-alang, Burauen, Jaro, all from Leyte; Naval, Biliran; Hinunangan, Southern Leyte; Guiuan, Eastern Samar and Laoang, Northern Samar. (ALVIN P. CARDINES) June 21, 2012