THE cities of Manila and Muntinlupa failed to pass the Good Financial Housekeeping (GFH) assessment by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) last year.
This was contained in a 44-page DILG document posted on its web site.
The GFH assessment was finished and approved on March 22, 2018.
The exclusion of Manila and Muntinlupa from the list of GFH passers and assessment compliant only meant they failed to pass the criteria pegged by the DILG for good financial management for the country’s local government units (LGUs).
Manila, under the leadership of Mayor Joseph E. Estrada since 2013, is the capital city of the Philippines.
Jaime R. Fresnedi is the mayor of Muntinlupa.
Manila and Muntinlupa were the same two LGUs in the National Capital Region that failed to pass the GFH criteria in the October 6, 2017, DILG report.
This means the two were not challenged and so have not made any changes.
To pass the GFH criteria, an LGU should have been seriously and honestly practicing the “accounting and auditing standards” of the country, former DILG Officer in Charge Catalino S. Cuy said when giving awards to the LGU heads recognized for the Seal of Good Local Governance in December last year.
Cuy said the LGUs should have “also complied with the Full Disclosure Policy [FDP] of local budget and finances, bids and public offerings.”
On top of that, the LGUs must have no 2015 qualified and unqualified opinion from the Commission on Audit. They are also required to post their financial records in three conspicuous places like public market and municipal hall bulletin board.
Likewise, LGUs must post the same in the FDP online portal, Cuy noted.
After Cuy left DILG in January, GFH criteria remained the same.
The Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS) said all the provincial governors, city mayors and municipal mayors are mandated to observe, abide and implement all the criteria of GFH imposed by the DILG if they want their LGUs to pass the GFH. Failure to do so would mean they are excluded in the official list of GFH passers.
Passers were the cities of Mandaluyong, Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, San Juan, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela, Las Pinas, Makati, Parañaque, Pasay, Taguig and the municipality of Pateros.
The result is equivalent to an 88-percent rating.
BLGS made it clear that passing the GFH does not mean the LGUs were free from graft and corruption. The point is simple: Those who passed have observed, followed and implemented the set of requirements pegged by the DILG for the GFH.
DILG records showed the result was certified, approved and signed by Alfred V. Mamuyac (LGOO V, LGPMD), Melany F. Quiton (officer in charge, LGPMD), and Odilon L. Pasaraba (Director IV, BLGS). Despite the recognition of the 14 cities and one municipality, the DILG will not issue certificates or plaques on the heads of these LGUs specifically for GFHs, DILG Officer in Charge Eduaro M. Año said in Memorandum 2018-10 released on January 30.
