Sta. Barbara Wins Gold Standard’s SGLG

By Mortz C. Ortigoza 

STA. BARBARA, Pangasinan – The mayor here personally received the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) - dubbed as the Mother of All Awards - from Department of Interior & Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos.

On the local government unit’s Facebook Page, Mayor Carlito Zaplan and several of this town’s top executives and elective leaders boasted the P1.8 million cash incentive given to the first class landlocked town after winning the plaudit last December 13 to 14.

SGLG AWARDEE. Sta. Barbara Mayor Carlito Zaplan (2nd from
left) receives from Department of Interior & Local Government 
Secretary Benjamin Abalos (extreme left).

During the annual ceremony held at the Manila Hotel in Metro Manila, Zaplan was accompanied by Councilors Eleazar Dalope, Bobby Barbiran, Phyll Anthony Zaplan, Ramil Delos Santos, Roderick Torio, Marking Cruz and Bernardine Barbiran, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation President VJ Bauzon, Municipal Social Welfare Development Officer Wilma Coquia, Municipal Agriculture Office Head Alicia Noche and Pastor Rodheric Noche.

The 24 towns and three cities in Pangasinan that garnered the 2023 SGLG awards were Aguilar, Alcala, Anda, Asingan, Balungao, Bani, Basista, Bugallon, Burgos, Infanta, Lingayen, Malasiqui, Mapandan, Rosales, San Fabian, San Manuel, San Nicolas, Sta. Barbara, Sta. Maria, Sto. Tomas, Tayug,  Urbiztondo and Villasis and the cities of Alaminos, San Carlos and Urdaneta.

DILG Secretary Abalos has urged the 493 Seal of Good Local SGLG awardees this year to share their success stories with other LGUs.

Of the SGLG awardees for 2023, 28 are provinces, 64 cities, and 401 municipalities.

Enacted through Republic Act No. 11292 or "The Seal of Good Local Governance Act of 2019," the SGLG is an institutionalized award, incentive, honor, and recognition-based program that encourages LGUs’ commitment to continuous progress and improve their performance along various governance areas.

All LGU awardees will receive an SGLG marker and incentive fund of P4 million for provinces, P2.3 million for cities, and P1.8 million for municipalities.