Governor Bong Lacson welcomed the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) Regional Assessment Team of the Department of the Interior and Local Government led by LGOO VIII Dino Ponsaran, Provincial Director of DILG Guimaras, together with LGOO VI Rene Ato, LGMED Asst. Division Chief, DILG 6; LGOO VI Anthony Ian Andaleza, Chief of Staff, DILG 6; and Febie Ibojos, Signpost, Incorporated, CSO Representative.

DILG 6 Regional Director Juan Jovian Ingeniero and DILG Negros Occ. Provincial Director, Roselyn Quintana were also present at the activity.

The team conducted an on-site assessment of the Province of Negros Occidental’s performance in areas such as Financial Administration, Disaster Preparedness, Social Protection and Sensitivity, Health Compliance and Responsiveness, Sustainable Education, Business-friendliness and Competitiveness, Environmental Management, Safety, Peace and Order, Tourism, Heritage Development, Culture and the Arts, and Youth Development.

Gov. Lacson said that he is proud that while the province was faced with a crisis, it did not allow the uncertainties of the pandemic delay and hinder the delivery of the provincial government’s duties, services, and programs, and that the province had won an international award and several national and regional awards.

“As servants of the people, we cannot choose when hardship will come, but we can choose how to respond. The road we took for the past two years was rough, yet we are not without hope,” he said.

“This year, with our compassion, accord, and commitment to stand by each other, let us rebuild our province not as it had been, but as it should be,” he added.