Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace Baronda is pushing the institutionalization of the Seal of Good Housekeeping in all barangays to promote excellence in local governance in Iloilo City.

Baronda said the initiative came from the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) following the benchmarking of the council secretariat with their counterparts in Manila.

“When I learned about this, I reviewed it, and it’s suited for our city so that our barangay captains and barangay councils will be inspired to do more and do their jobs well. This ordinance will guide them on how they could do their jobs effectively and efficiently, especially on transparency, good governance, including participatory governance and accountability,” she said in an interview on Thursday.

The move is patterned after the Seal of Good Housekeeping of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, but at the barangay level.

“There is a recognized opportunity to further strengthen the standards of governance at the barangay level. Our barangays play a major role in the delivery of government services,” she said.

Baronda said it is timely since the council’s committee on rules is investigating the budgeting programs of barangays.

She is eyeing the creation of a technical working group as part of the ordinance to conduct seminars and workshops on barangay budgeting.

“We will help the barangays become effective and efficient,” she said.

Under the proposed ordinance, the city government will provide incentives to barangays that meet the criteria that will be set under the Seal of Good Housekeeping. (PNA)