Department of Interior & Local Government Assistant Sec. Rolando M. Acosta has confirmed that Negros Oriental has slid to 57th rank in the 2011 Local Governance Performance Management System.
The confirmation came after confusions and even verbal tussles among local officials that rocked the province recently.
Board Member Edmund Dy, however, said, it does not mean that the province had failed in the rating.
In a privilege speech during the Board’s regular session this week, Dy said it was disturbing for him and the Province to receive such ranking while it is a top contender in the Gawad Pamana ng Lahi Award, which is the mother of all awards for local government units.
The Board Member also wanted to refute pronouncements that the ranking was manufactured, as he presented a hard copy signed by Acosta.
The report stated that in 2009, Negros Oriental ranked No. 1 with an overall performance index of 4.85, and ranked No. 7 in 2010 with an OPI of 4.76.
However, in 2011, it slipped to No. 57 with a rating of 4.36 which is a difference of .40 only.
Dy said this is a wake-up call for all concerned to take action and not be negative about it. He said this is not a personal affront to the governor but includes all the department heads, the consultants, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and all the citizens.
He also considers this as a challenge on his part and the employees of the provincial government, as well as elected and appointed officials and constituents to unite into action and strive to be in the number one position once again because the province deserves the best.
For his part, provincial DILG officer Jofralito Lorico explained that under the parameters set by DILG, a rating of above four is still considered a very good performance.
It should serve as a guide for officials to improve on weak areas, he added.
Notably, from 2009 to 2011, Negros Oriental maintained a rating of five in the area of human resource management and development, support to education services, support to fishery services, entrepreneurship, business and industry promotion, forest ecosystems management, coastal marine ecosystems management, and transparency.
In other areas, it garnered a rating of above four, but with a poor rating of three in revenue generation since 2011 from 3.8 in 2009, resource allocation and utilization, and support to housing and basic utilities, according to the report of Acosta. (PNA)
