BONTOC, Mountain Province – This capital town is the only local government unit in the Cordillera that qualified for the performance-based bonus (PBB) granted by the national government.
In the entire country, the Cordillera is the only region with just one qualifier, the Bontoc LGU, for passing the required standards with flying colors out of 24 LGUs in the region that have submitted a letter of intent to participate in the PBB grant for 2020.
On May 19, Department of the Interior and Local Government OIC Regional Director Araceli San Jose issued a memorandum furnishing concerned city and provincial directors with the list of LGUs eligible for the grant of PBB for 2020 and to be given this year.
A total of 486 municipal, city, and provincial LGUs in the country have submitted their letters of intention to participate in the grant of PBB for 2020. However, only 209 have passed the assessment and validation.
The Bontoc LGU is a Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) awardee, one of the highest awards given by the DILG to LGUs which recorded exemplary performance in government service.
The municipality passed the seven areas for the award: financial administration, disaster preparedness, social protection, peace and order; business friendliness and competitiveness; environmental management; and tourism, culture, and the arts.
Under the leadership of Mayor Franklin Odsey, Bontoc has passed the test of good governance for three consecutive years since 2017 and is the lone awardee in Mountain Province for 2018 and 2019.
Also, Bontoc LGU submitted a certificate of compliance to the Anti-Red Tape Act; has a fully functional strategic performance management system as required by the Civil Service Commission; and satisfied the requirements of the Commission on Audit.
Aside from passing the standards set for the PBB, Bontoc has also received various national awards in the previous years.
It is the only municipality in the country that was adjudged as Hall of Famer in the Most Outstanding Accounting Office by the Association of Government Accountants of the Philippines in 2019 for being awarded for three consecutive years from 2016, 2017, and 2018.
Bontoc was also awarded by the Department of Social Welfare and Development the Seal of Child-Friendly Municipality also from 2016 to 2018.
Odsey said this is the result of collaborative efforts of municipal offices and departments and partner stakeholders in the delivery of services to the people, as well as participatory governance.
He said all undertakings of the municipal government are anchored on his administration’s vision of “Bontoc on the rise,” which encompasses his five major programs, namely people-centered service; disaster preparedness and resiliency; youth development; shared prosperity; and sustainability and health.
Odsey hopes the PBB would serve as an inspiration and a challenge to Bontoc officials and employees to always strive for excellence in public service.
Municipal Budget Officer Aida Lingbanan said this is the second time that the municipal government is granted the PBB.
She added the town did not only pass the prescribed regulatory requirements, but also met the expectations of the public through efficient and effective implementation of programs, projects, and activities. – Alpine L. Killa
