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 by:  LGOO V Ive B. Saludez

October 30, 2014- The Department of the Interior and Local Government Regional Office 02 culminates 23rd Local Government Month Celebration through the conduct of Local Governance Forum today at Hotel Roma, Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.  The forum was attended by a number of local officials, functionaries and agency directors of the region. It was graced by Executive Director Manuel Q. Gotis of DILG-Bureau of Local Government Supervision, Executive Director Marivel C. Sacendoncillo of the Local Government Academy and a representative from the Office of Secretary Manuel N. Mamba, the Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs of the Office of the President. 

The forum was anchored on the 23rd LG Month’s theme: “Ang LGUng Magaling, May Nararating”. The activity highlighted the replicable stories and experiences of Tuguegarao City, Cagayan on Regulatory Simplification for Local Governments (RS4LG); Buguey, Cagayan on Anti-Red Tape Act Implementation as their “Way of Life”; Lal-lo, Cagayan on their Lal-lo Against Waste In any form Now (LAWIN) Project; Alicia, Isabela on sustained child Friendly PPAs; Cauayan City, Isabela on RESCUE 922; San Mateo, Isabela on the Economic Gains of the Golden Pod; Dupax del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya on its SALINTUBIG Project; Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya on its Re-Greening Project; and Province of Quirino on Nutrition Program. Video clips of the mentioned LGUs were presented, substantiated by a short sharing by the Local Chief Executives of the said LGUs. In an open forum, other LGU functionaries were given time to ask the sharers on how did they come up with such replicable practices. Clarificatory questions were also entertained.

 DILG RO2 OIC RD Marlo L. Iringan, CESO V emphasized in his message, that the sharer-LGUs were just only a few of region 02’s pride. “Sa mga susunod na fora, magkakaroon po tayo ng compilation of LGUs with good stories and practices at ito ay hamon sa mga LGUs to come out and share with us your beautiful stories”, OIC RD Iringan said.

Worthy also to celebrate was the gist of Executive Director Manuel Gotis’ message which pronounced that 3 cities in region 02 met the national standards for good financial housekeeping, disaster preparedness, business-friendliness and competitiveness and environmental management; 5 provinces met the principles of peace and order; 4 provinces on good financial housekeeping and business friendliness; an average of 3 in every 10 municipalities met the standards of peace and order and 7 in every 10 municipalities on good financial housekeeping. He added, that being “magaling” is only halfway towards a goal. “May Nararating” means nowadays those which were able to transform, have touched lives, and those who have delivered better services, those who were able to raise the bar for local governance and generally were able to inspire others, who were today’s modern day heroes, Executive Director Gotis stressed out.

Executive Director Marivel C. Sacendoncillo of the Local Government academy (training arm of DILG) considered the forum as a celebration of bountiful harvest of Cagayan Valley. “9 LGU-sharers will serve as models. I then challenge you all to create valley-wide good governance. The 9 LGUs did it so there is no reason for the other LGUs to do the same, she said.

Indeed, the activity was a success and as emphasized by DILG RO2 Assistant Regional Director through an interview “Naipamalas na ang kagalingan ng mga LGUs, higit kailanman, we are always hopeful na malayo pa ang kanilang mararating. This will not be the first and last forum, LGUs of Region 02 ask for more and DILG will always be there to guide them”, he emphasized.