Cotabato City (August 6, 2020) – ₱2.3 million incentive was awarded to each of the municipalities of South Upi, Guindulungan, Datu Piang, Shariff Aguak, and Datu Abdullah Sangki in Maguindanao province.
This was after said Local Government Units (LGUs) successfully passed the eligibility criteria of the Department of Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) 2019.
Atty. Naguib Sinraimbo, BARMM’s Interior and Local Government Minister, led the awarding ceremony on Thursday, August 6, at the Bangsamoro Government Center in the city.
Sinarimbo said PCF is given to LGUs that passed the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) 2019. “Kapag pumasa ka dun sa criteria na ibinigay ng SGLG, maa-access mo ang fund na ‘yun,” he said, noting that fund will be used to improve the LGUs’ programs and service delivery.
Among the criteria are good performance in the areas of financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, peace and order, business friendliness, tourism, culture and the arts, and environmental protection.
“For 2019, nasa 2.3 million dahil mejo madami ang pumasa sa SGLG, lalo na sa atin sa Bangsamoro region naging number 1 tayo sa buong Mindanao,” Sinarimbo said.
In 2019, BARMM topped the spot in Mindanao with the highest number of LGUs, 28 in total, compliant to the SGLG criteria.
Meanwhile, this year’s SGLG awarding will be suspended according to Sinarimbo “because the focus of national government and the LGUs is diverted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.”
However, Sinarimbo said, “Magkakaroon din ng regional award system ngayong taon, ito ang Salamat Award for LGUs. Kabilang sa measure nito ang fight against Covid-19 dahil ito ang pinakakailangan natin sa ngayon at ito ang magiging center piece ng criteria ng Salamat Award.”
“This year, we will start checking and verifying prospective and potential awardees,” he added.
Present during Thursday’s ceremony were Guindulungan Mayor Mibpantao Midtimbang Jr; South Upi Mayor Reynelbert Insular and Vice-Mayor Imelda Estorninos; Shariff Aguak Secretary to Mayor Anwar Eblawa, Municipal Accountant Al Jazzar Adam, Municipal Treasurer Nadin Bayhon; Guindulungan Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Banda Salik, and other representatives. (Bureau of Public Information)
