CALABARZON— As part of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) ongoing commitment to recognize the achievements, commendable practices, and the pursuit of excellence in local governance, the CALABARZON region successfully completed the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) National Onsite Validation of the shortlisted local government units (LGUs) in the region over the first to third weeks of September, to reinforce the highest standards of public service.

To carry out the evaluation, members of the National Validation Teams from various regions–namely the National Capital Region (NCR), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Region IX, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)–arrived to assess the performance of shortlisted LGUs across CALABARZON. The assessment took place over two weeks, with the provinces of Cavite and Rizal evaluated in the first week of September, followed by Batangas, Laguna, and Quezon in the second. These teams conducted comprehensive evaluations to ensure that the LGUs exhibited excellence in ten (10) key areas of governance crucial to public service delivery:

1. Financial Administration;
2. Disaster Preparedness;
3. Social Protection and Sensitivity;
4. Health Compliance and Responsiveness;
5. Sustainable Education;
6. Business Friendliness and Competitiveness;
7. Safety, Peace and Order;
8. Environmental Management;
9. Tourism, Heritage, Development, Culture and Arts; and
10. Youth Development.

Additionally, DILG IV-A led by Regional Director Ariel O. Iglesia, CESO III, also contributed as members of the National Validation Team through the assessment of shortlisted LGUs in Regions I, II, III, CARAGA, and NCR.