89% of LGUs pass DILG’s financial transparency assessment

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 1,522 local government units or 89 percent of all LGUs nationwide have passed the 2019 Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) standards of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Thursday that this represents a three percent increase from the 86 percent passing rate in 2018 (1,481 LGUs).

“With the increase of GFH passers, we can be assured of better financial administration which hopefully translates to improved services for the citizens,” he said in a statement.

The Interior Secretary noted that passing the GFH is a success in itself as it involves strict requirements and a nod from the Commission on Audit.

GFH is one of the criteria in awarding the Seal of Good Local Governance.

For LGUs to pass the GFH, they must comply with the Full Disclosure Policy by posting important financial documents in three “conspicuous places” and in the FDP Portal for all the quarters of 2018 and the 1st quarter of 2019 posting period documents.

The LGUs must also have a favorable COA audit opinion, as posted on the COA website, for 2017 or 2018, according to Año.

Of all regions in the country, Año said the Davao Region had a 100-percent GFH passing rate.

The Ilocos region recorded a 98 percent passing rate followed by Calabarzon (97 percent), Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Northern Mindanao, and Soccsksargen (96 percent), Metro Manila (94 percent), Zamboanga Peninsula (92 percent), Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas (91 percent), Caraga (90 percent), Mimaropa (85 percent), Cordillera Administrative Region (82 percent), Bicol Region (81 percent), Central Visayas (73 percent), and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (69 percent).

Meanwhile, Año encouraged the 184 LGUs that failed to pass the 2019 GFH to consider their rating as more of a challenge, and to ensure that they make the grade in 2020.

“This will only make your service and fiscal management better. Marami namang nagdaan d’yan (non-inclusion in the GFH list of passers). Learn, grow and come back stronger,” he said.

GSG