Seven of 23 municipalities in Palawan fell short of earning the Good Financial Housekeeping certification from the Department of the Interior and Local Governance (DILG) for 2023.
The 16 municipalities that obtained the Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) certification in 2023 were Aborlan, Agutaya, Bataraza, Brooke’s Point, Busuanga, Cuyo, El Nido, Linapacan, Narra, Quezon, Roxas, San Vicente, Kalayaan, Culion, Rizal, and Sofronio Española. These municipalities collectively represent approximately 70% of the province’s entirety.
The towns that didn’t receive this GFH certifications were Araceli, Balabac, Cagayancillo, Coron, Dumaran, Magsaysay, and Taytay.
The Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) award, bestowed annually by the DILG, acknowledges local government units (LGUs) with commendable financial management practices. LGUs receiving either a qualified or unqualified opinion on their annual audit reports, coupled with adherence to the full disclosure policy criteria outlined by the Commission on Audit (COA), are eligible for this recognition.
Additionally, compliance extends to the timely public posting of financial documents in three prominent locations and on the DILG’s financial portal.
This certifications serve as proof to the diligence and transparency exhibited by LGUs in handling public funds. By meeting the stringent requirements set forth by the DILG and COA, recipient LGUs not only demonstrate responsible financial stewardship but also foster public trust through open and accessible financial reporting practices.
Virgilio Tagle, the provincial director for the DILG, emphasized that the award signifies a notable enhancement in the financial management practices within Palawan’s municipalities.
“Completed at na-comply nila lahat ng financial conduct doon sa 16 municipalities- nai-post po yan ng online sa tatlong conspicuous places at tsaka nakaupload sila sa portal on time,” he said.
Tagle also said that this was an improvement from the previous auditing year, as the 2022 GFH only had 12 municipalities that complied with the auditing process.
He explained that the DILG lacked access to the specifics of the reports concerning why the remaining municipalities did not meet the qualifications for the 2023 GFH award when queried about the matter.
“Hindi ko alam yung reason, pero maaaring [hindi nakaabot sa submission time], or may problema sila sa Commission on Audit, talagang iba-iba ang dahilan. Sixteen out of 23 yung pumasa overall, pero dumagdag yan, kasi parang nung 2022 ay 14 or 12 [municipalities] lang. Maganda siya, ibig sabihin ang financial transactions ng probinsya natin,” he said.
Out of 78 LGUs assessed in Region IV-B MIMAROPA, 69 or 87% passed the GFH, including the highly urbanized Puerto Princesa City.
