Cotabato City bags 2017 SGLG award

SIGAY KA, COTABATO CITY --- City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi is thrilled after she received the 2017 Seal of Good Local Governance award, the most coveted recognition given to local governments that excel in governance and public service. (GILMHAR A. LAO WITH PHOTO BY CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO - MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

MANILA --- The city government of Cotabato proves its outstanding good governance as it is awarded the 2017 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).

During the awarding ceremony held in Manila City in November 29, no less than City Mayor Atty. Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi received the most coveted recognition given to local government units that excel in governance and public service.

She was joined by some of the city's department heads who were instrumental during the assessment period held earlier this year.

The SGLG is an award given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to LGUs that passed the criteria and parameters of the recognition. The four core areas of governance that the LGU must pass are: Peace and Order, Financial Administration, Social Protection, and Disaster Preparedness. Furthermore, it must also pass at least one of these essential areas: Environment Management, Business Friendliness and Competitiveness, and Tourism, Culture, and Arts.

According to the DILG, Cotabato City not only passed the core areas, it has also succeeded in surpassing the requirements of the essential areas. This made Cotabato City qualified to receive the 2017 SGLG award.

Proud and honored, City Mayor Guiani-Sayadi said the local government of Cotabato, under her administration, is inspired and motivated to give the best of its services to her constituents.

She also believes that with the fast changing times, the city LGU must be able to make adaptations for it to be able to equal the services of Cotabato City to the demands and needs of the people.

"We are very proud but still this award is only a bonus. What really matters is that our constituents are satisfied with the services they receive from us. Their welfare is always our top priority," the mayor said.

This year, 27 percent of the LGUs in the whole country were awarded the SGLG, higher than the 18 percent that had been awarded last year.

In Region XII, three cities --- Cotabato, Kidapawan, and Tacurong --- were awarded the SGLG this year. (CITY GOVERNMENT OF COTABATO - MINDANAO EXPOSE’)