Navotas wins Good Housekeeping award

If this city were a house, it would be “clean,” so to speak.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has awarded Navotas with the Seal of Good Housekeeping, which acknowledges the city’s governance practices that promote, among others, transparency and accountability.

The seal, which qualifies the local government unit to a

P20 million support fund, was awarded to Mayor John Rey Tiangco in ceremonies held at the city hall on Monday.

Should Navotas be chosen, the released Local Government Support Fund, as it is called, can be used as capital to finance the city’s projects.

“This will help the city support all its social services which we have feared to be cut off due to the decrease of our IRA (internal revenue allotment),” Tiangco said.

Marlon Gatpandan, DILG representative to the city, said Navotas was one of four local government units in the National Capital Region that passed “a strict and meticulous screening” by the agency.

The others were Marikina, Caloocan and Makati.

“The Seal of Good Housekeeping award is difficult to come by as DILG sees to it that the city exemplifies good governance through strictly monitoring the performance of the mayor and his employees,” Gatpandan said.

These practices that promote transparency and accountability include bids and public offerings through bulletin boards in conspicuous areas, the posting of said reports and notices in their official website and in widely-circulated newspapers, and a complete disclosure of local budgets and finances.

Aside from this, the award recognizes the local government unit’s good planning and sound fiscal management,

Gatpandan said.

“The said award was given to cities, provinces and municipalities outside the region to inspire and motivate them to excel in their public services …” he added.