The city government of San Pedro, Laguna has won for the 8th consecutive time the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), the highest award given by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
One thing San Pedro City Mayor Art Mercado can be proud of in his first term as city executive: his administration has not only maintained the high standards of leadership from the previous administration but has even enhanced them.
This, as the San Pedro LGU bagged for the 8th time the prestigious Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), the highest award for local governance given by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Mercado, who personally received the recognition during the SGLG Awards Night held at the Manila Hotel last December 11, saw the newest honor as proof that his administration is pursuing the right course in his goal of San Pedro City becoming “Una sa Laguna.”
“Ang tagumpay na ito ay patunay ng ating masipag, tapat, at serbisyong may malasakit na paglilingkod,” the city executive said in a social media post.
“Ang parangal na ito ay hindi lamang simbolo ng ating pagsisikap, kundi isang patunay ng ating layunin na gawing unang lungsod sa Laguna ang San Pedro—hindi lamang sa parangal kundi sa progreso, kaunlaran, at tapat na serbisyo,” he added.
No small feat
That the city of San Pedro was not only able to pass the high standards of the DILG but also maintain them for so many years is no small feat for the local government, Fatima Alon, the City Local Government Operating Officer (CLGOO) for San Pedro City, explained.
"Remember, the LGU has to pass all 10 criteria set by the DILG to be considered for the SGLG," Alon explained in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.
These criteria, set by the DILG, include financial administration and sustainability; disaster preparedness; social protection and sensitivity; health compliance and responsiveness; sustainable education; business-friendliness and competitiveness; safety, peace, and order; environmental management; tourism, heritage development, culture, and arts; and youth development.
"There are some criteria, like social protection and sensitivity and disaster preparedness, for example, na kailangang maipasa mo nang 100-percent," she added.
Motivation
Alon was quick to point out that San Pedro City was able to remain consistent in its goals of achieving the criteria set by the DILG throughout the years.
“The way I see it, it’s the leadership that enables the city government to maintain the high standards of good governance that the SGLG sets. It all rests in the cooperation and trust between the city executive and the department heads, as well as the way he motivates them,” she stressed.
Also, notwithstanding the fact that Mercado always gives credit to the hardworking heads and staff of the various local departments for the awards and recognitions the LGU receives, Alon points out that it was, in turn, the city executive’s leadership style that inspires them to persevere in their duties.
“Apart from our own personal motivations to serve the San Pedrenses, we are also inspired kay Mayor Mercado, not only in the way he performs his job, but also in the way he motivates his people,” she noted.
Assurance of good public service
Despite the fact that the SGLG Awards has become one of the highest recognitions a local government in the Philippines can achieve, the most important question the ordinary San Pedrense is sure to ask is: What can this award bring to them?
For CLGOO Alon, who has also worked with other LGUs in Laguna that have consistently received the SGLG Award, the answer is simple: the award is tangible proof that the LGU not only performs its duties but also performs them exceptionally well, for the benefit of its constituents.
Not only that, the SGLG Award comes with financial incentives from the DILG – incentives that the city, in turn, can spend on more programs and projects that will raise the standards of living for all residents, boost its opportunities for investment and employment, and create a cycle of economic growth that will lead to peace and stability and vice versa.
“In fact, marami na pong mga equipment na nabili ang city government of San Pedro from the incentives given by the DILG,” Alon recounted. “In fact, the last purchase [from the 2023 SGLG Award] was a water-quality monitoring equipment na nagagamit natin ngayon upang ma-measure ang quality ng mga tubig sa mga ilog at kanal natin, especially in terms of pollution. That equipment came with the P2.3 million incentive fund from the DILG.”
Future plans
The incentives received by the San Pedro City SGLG Awards, Alon bared, will now help the city realize its vision of becoming a "leading recognized smART CITY in CALABARZON by 2032.”
The San Pedro CLGOO shared that this year's incentive fund will be spent on strengthening the city government's ICT sector, as it begins to move towards the full digitization of its programs and services.
"We have already begun working on implementing an electronic business one-stop shop (eBOSS), not only because it is mandated [by the Anti-Red-Tape Authority], but also to encourage more businesses in our city,” she related.
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