To bolster the protection of local green spaces and other natural resources, stronger environmental safeguards will be included in the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), a yearly award given by the Department of the Interior and Local Government to local government units (LGUs) that meet performance standards in 10 aspects of governance, from financial sustainability to environmental management.
“By embedding environmental sustainability into governance, we pave the way for disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and the preservation of resources for future generations,” DILG Negros Island Region director Lailyn Ortiz, said in her message delivered by local government operations officer Ric Laurence Sayson, at the orientation/learning event on the SGLG environmental indicators Jan. 28 at the SMX Convention Center in Bacolod City.
From Jan. 23-28, officers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, United Nations Development Programme’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (UNDP-BIOFIN), the DILG, and LGUs of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor, discussed ways to mainstream environmental safeguards into both the SGLG and the country’s LGU development plans, paving the way for more financial investments in biodiversity conservation.
Launched in 2014, the SGLG was designed to push LGUs to continuously enhance public performance. Its environment management governance section formerly focused on solid waste management and disaster preparedness.
In 2023, it finally expanded to cover the establishment and upkeep of public parks and green spaces, as well as the sustainable management of wetlands, like coasts, rivers and lakes.
In the coming years, it might further expand to cover wildlife conservation and protection, proper forest land-use plans, and a requirement for LGUs to retain a local environment and natural resources officer, a press release said.
“The DENR is committed to provide the necessary guidance, resources and technical assistance to help our LGUs comply with our new environmental indicators,” DENR undersecretary for Luzon and Visayas Field Operations, Atty. Juan Miguel Cuna, said. “No LGU shall be left behind in achieving these goals.”
Representatives from 20 out of 25 Negros Oriental, and 22 out of 32 Negros Occidental LGUs attended the two-part learning event, which will help them comply with the SGLG’s new biodiversity requirements, while eventually developing toolkits to help both the DENR and DILG in assisting participating LGUs.
“Hopefully, our workshops will allow every LGU in the country to meet SGLG standards, greatly enhancing their capacity to protect their respective natural resources,” UNDP-BIOFIN Philippines national project manager Anabelle Plantilla said. “As a bonus, LGUs that meet the new SGLG standards shall, in turn, be rewarded with a special budgetary allotment.”
The province of Negros Occidental has been a consistent SGLG awardee along with 18 of its LGUs.
“Beyond the prestige of the award lies a greater purpose, the real and lasting impact of our efforts on the environment and our communities,” Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said. “It is our duty to lead by example, empowering LGUs in the province to strive for the same recognition and, more importantly, to embrace the culture of good governance that the SGLG represents.”
UNDP-BIOFIN has been working closely with the DILG and DENR to mainstream biodiversity conservation since 2019. UNDP-BIOFIN and the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau pushed for the adoption of a national roadmap for conservation; in 2016, the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) was adopted by the DENR through Administrative Order 2016-12.
The PBSAP, however, faced major budgetary gaps. As a solution, biodiversity conservation was gently integrated into the development and investment programs of national agencies, local governments, and private sector groups.
Active in over 40 countries, the UNDP-BIOFIN has successfully helped raise over USD84 million for 107 Legislated Philippine Protected Areas by pushing for increased congressional financing since 2020. Its Year of the Protected Areas campaign captivated public interest in visiting the country’s protected areas after the COVID-19 pandemic.
UNDP-BIOFIN continues to work with public and private sector partners to mainstream sustainable funding for biodiversity projects. Operations in the Philippines are slated to conclude in 2027.
“These SGLG learning workshops are a welcome development for our LGUs. We hope they will enhance the LGU’s understanding of the unique biodiversity of Negros and our other regions,” Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. executive director Lisa Paguntalan-Marte, said. “We want to help improve their capacity to develop activities and programs that will make tomorrow’s cities and towns more resilient to the challenges of changing times.”
The LGU participants expressed their hope that similar learning events will be replicated in the future to benefit and accommodate more local government units. ||
