The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) launched Wednesday the Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) for the municipalities in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a move that would further boost the government’s reform initiatives in the region.

The launching was highlighted by the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) by DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, Acting ARMM Gov. Mujiv S. Hataman, the provincial governors, and some 51 municipal mayors of the ARMM provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, at Heritage Hotel in Pasay City.

Of the 51 municipalities, 25 are from the province of Maguindanao, 12 from Sulu, nine from Tawi-Tawi, four from Lanao del Sur, and one from the province of Basilan.

Robredo said the seal of good housekeeping in the ARMM is an offshoot of a prior seal the Department has been successfully implementing in other regions to give due recognition to LGUs for their good performance.

“We want to bring the value of the seal to the ARMM to sustain the government’s reform efforts that are being carried out in the region,” he added.

Robredo explained that the SGH-ARMM aims to incentivize a local government that advances the primacy of performance, accountability and transparency, which are highly essential in building a responsible local government.

Earlier, the DILG secretary issued a circular which provided that an ARMM LGU that qualified for the seal shall be entitled to a cash incentive under the Commitment to Governance Reform Fund (CGRF) in the amount of P1million.

He, however, stressed that the cash incentive shall be used to finance administrative reforms aimed at institutionalizing the full disclosure policy and procurement reforms; as well as for development projects particular to the needs of the municipality.

Under the agreement, the DILG shall incentivize and confer the seal-ARMM to qualified recipients, as well as promulgate the rules and mechanics of the seal including the use of funds for administrative reforms and development.

On the other hand, the ARMM shall perform overall oversight in the implementation of the seal and of committed administrative reforms, as well as monitor progress of municipal government commitments to address development needs. ###

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