2019 State of Local Governance Report` Echague, Isabela

Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG)

Government Assessment Report (GAR)
The Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) is an award, incentive, honor and
recognition-based program for all local government units (LGUs) and is a continuing commitment
for LGUs to continually progress and improve performance in upholding the practice of
transparency and accountability in the use of public funds, preparedness for challenges posed by
disasters, sensitivity to the needs of vulnerable and marginalized sectors of society,
implementation and sustenance of policies and programs that would strengthen and promote the
well-being, healthy lifestyle and safety of the public, investment and employment promotion,
protection of constituency from threats to life and damage to property and safeguarding the
integrity of the environment. In such recognition, LGUs are encouraged to take on greater
challenges, encourage outcome-based performance and to reward local government units for the
effort in pursuing the general welfare of the constituency and in enforcing existing laws.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has redefined and polished
its all-in criteria making 2019 SGLG more challenging for the local government units.

SGLG 2019 still requires LGUs to pass all seven governance areas namely: Financial
Administration; Disaster Preparedness; Social Protection; Peace and Order; Business Friendliness
and Competitiveness; Environmental Protection; and Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

The requirements are more specific and defined, hence creating a more competitive and
dynamic metrics to try to attain.

Despite the more stringent assessment criteria, Echague is among the 380 local
government units entire the Philippines, among the 40 local government units in region 02 and
among the 22 in the Province of Isabela accorded with the Seal of Good Local Governance by the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). The local government of Echague
once again proved its good work for the benefit of the Echagueños.

Government Assessment Report

2018
Financial Administration
1. Unqualified or qualified COA opinion
2. Compliance with Full Disclosure Policy
3. Local revenue collection growth (average for 3 years)
4. Utilization rate of 20% internal revenue allotment component
5. Functional municipal development council
6. Utilization rate of Performance Challenge Fund
7. Utilization rate of Bottom-up Budgeting/Assistance to Municipalities Fund
8. Approved annual budget
Disaster Preparedness
9. National Gawad KALASAG awardee for Best LDRRMC, OR
Meets the following:
10. Organized municipal disaster risk reduction and management council
11. Established municipal disaster risk reduction and management office
12. Plans available: CLUP, LDRRM, plan and budget, LCCAP, Contingency Plan, CBDRRM plans
13. Utilization of 70% local disaster risk reduction and management fund allocation
14. Early warning system in-place

1
2019 State of Local Governance Report` Echague, Isabela

15. Evacuation center management

16. Search and rescue team organized, equipped and trained
17. Prepositioning of goods, relief operations, medical and security services
18. Standard Operating Procedures available: incident command system, operations center, pre-emptive
evacuation
Social Protection
19. Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance awardee
20. Licensed municipal social welfare and development officer
21. Compliance with accessibility law
22. PhilHealth accreditation of main health facility
23. DepEd-aligned local school board plan and target completion rate reached
24. Compliance with indigenous people mandatory representation in the sanggunian
25. Updated municipal code for children
26. Presence of gender and development mechanism
27. Presence of violence against women and children mechanism
28. Implementation of Salintubig Projects
29. Established Persons with disability affair office
Peace and Order
30. Passed the 2018 Peace and Order Council Performance Audit
31. Municipal peace and order council convened
32. Implementation of Peace and Order, and Public Safety Plan
33. Logistical and financial support provided to local police station
34. Barangay peacekeeping action teams organized and trained
35. Activated municipal anti-drug abuse council
36. Increase in drug-cleared barangays
37. Regulation on firecracker and pyrotechnic devices
Business-Friendliness and Competitiveness
38. Finalist of PCCI’s Most Business-Friendly LGU award, OR
39. Top 50 in the competitiveness Index of National Competitiveness Council, OR
Meets the following
40. Established municipal economic and investment promotion office
41. Compliance with simplified business processing and licensing system standards
42. Database or recording system of local businesses
Environmental Management
43. Ten-Year solid waste management plan
44. Materials recovery facility
45. Access to sanitary landfill or alternative technology, as final disposal
46. Organized municipal solid waste management board
47. No operating controlled/open dumpsite
Tourism, culture, and the Arts
48. Tourism, promotion and development: tourism officer, information/assistance desks, tourism data
tracking
49. Cultural heritage promotion and conservation: local council, budget support, inventory, published
narrative
Legend:

- Met criteria
- Reconsidered LGU condition
- Did not meet criteria
- Not applicable
Financial Administration

Echague demonstrates positive and stable economic performance, and maintains preserves
and mandatorily upholds the practice of fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency. The

2
2019 State of Local Governance Report` Echague, Isabela

LGU met all the indicators in this component with one reconsidered conditions- utilization rate of
the 20% Internal Revenue Allotment indicator.

The LGU sustained its compliance to the issuance of an unqualified or qualified opinion
on the financial statements by the Commission on Audit in the immediately preceding year. The
LGU exhibits full and strict compliance with the Full Disclosure Policy of the local budget and
finances, bids and public offerings and posting of financial documents in the local government’s
portal.

The LGU got reconsidered condition on the utilization of the 20% Internal Revenue
Allotment. The utilization rate of the 20% Development Fund is 99% but it is a reconsidered
condition because computation includes utilization of the continuing appropriation for the
preceding year.

Disaster Preparedness

The LGU was not a National Gawad KALASAG awardee but satisfied its equivalent. The
LGU exhibited preparedness for any disaster or natural or man-made calamity by adopting
relevant plans. The LGU built its capacity to respond effectively to emergencies, has available
working early warning and evacuation alert systems, evacuation centers, standard operating
procedures in the event of disaster or calamity, emergency transportation facilities, relief operation
equipment and tools, medical services, registration and security.

There is an organized Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council which

composition adheres to existing laws and its functionality is sustained. The Local Disaster Risk
Reduction Management Office is fully operational armed with trained and capable personnel. All
mandated plans related to DRRM are all formulated with budget allocation. The LGU’s early
warning and evacuation alert system is in place and there were established evacuation centers to
be used during disasters and calamities by affected residents. The LGU constructed and
established its command center where command line and standard operating procedures are
effectively carried out. The Echague Rescue is always ready and is tapped in search and rescue,
relief operations, medical services, and security as well.

Social Protection

The LGU broaden its access to social services, and upheld the rights and privileges
especially the marginalized and most vulnerable in the community. The eleven criteria under the
social protection component were vibrantly maintained by the LGU.

The LGU is very responsive to the needs of the populace which includes providing access
to justice, particularly in cases of violence against women and children; providing access for
PWDs, senior citizens and pregnant women in frontline services; enhancing mobility for PWDs
in public infrastructure; access to quality public health services and facilities; support to education;
indigenous people are well-represented in the sanggunian. The municipal social welfare and
development office is headed by a competent and licensed social worker and the LGU is an
awardee of the Seal of Child Friendly Local Governance.

Peace and Order

3
2019 State of Local Governance Report` Echague, Isabela

The LGU established good and respectable performance in terms of maintaining peace and
order in the community as demonstrated by reduced crime rate, effective anti-illegal drugs
campaign.

So far, we sustained our compliance to eight assessment criteria in this component. The
LGU passed the Peace and Order Council Performance Audit and the Municipal Peace and Order
Council regularly.

The municipality shows considerable efforts in maintaining peace and order in the
community by adopting a Local Anti-Criminality Action Plan, provided logistical or financial
support to the local police, supported the police station in establishing and organizing
peacekeeping action teams in the barangays.

We have a functional municipal anti-drug abuse council which composition is in

accordance with existing law. The council meets as often as possible to tackle important matters
regarding total eradication of illegal drugs in the municipality and we have increased the number
of drug-cleared barangays. Use of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices are being regulated in the
community.

Business-friendliness and Competitiveness

Echague was not a finalist of PCCI’s Most Business-Friendly LGU award nor, not belong
to the top 50 in the Competitiveness Index of National Competitiveness Council but met all the
three requirements equivalent to it.

We established the municipal economic and investment promotion office, we complied

with simplified business processing and licensing system standards and we have data base or
recording system of local businesses. The office is enough to accommodate clienteles securing
business permit, it is air-conditioned and well-ventilated and provided with television making the
waiting clienteles comfortable.

Environmental Management

There are five assessment criteria in this component. The LGU met the two criteria under
the Environmental Management but we have three criteria with reconsidered conditions.

We got reconsidered condition under the presence of ten-year solid waste management
plan, access to sanitary landfill and no operating controlled/open dumpsite.

The LGU has already a draft ten-year solid waste management plan but still under review
by the National Solid Waste Commission. The plan is still to be defended by the LGU to the
National Solid Waste Commission.

The construction of sanitary landfill is contained in our Ten-Year Solid Waste

Management Plan which implementation period is year 2019. The open dumpsite is already close
and the construction of the sanitary landfill is on-going. Residual Containment Area (RCA) was
constructed which being utilized to accommodate the residual and special waste of the residents
while the construction of the sanitary landfill is on-going.

Tourism, Culture, and the Arts

4
2019 State of Local Governance Report` Echague, Isabela

So far, the LGU met the criteria under the Tourism, Culture and the Arts component.
Promotion and conservation of cultural heritage were vibrantly pursued though celebration of
festivals. We have a functional Tourism, Culture and the Arts Council which composition
complies with existing laws. The LGU yearly allocates fund for the enrichment of cultural heritage
and community and optimization of tourism potential in the locality.