POLANGUI, Albay – The Department of the Interior and Local Government included this town as among those that passed the criteria of the 2023 Seal of Good Local Governance — the lone awardee in Albay province in the municipal category and one of 11 to garner the honor in the Bicol Region.

Polangui Mayor Raymond Adrian Salceda received the good news through a letter from DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr., chair of the Council of Good Local Governance.

"Out of 1,715 local government units assessed this year, the Municipality of Polangui is among those which have substantially met the all-in standards of the Seal. We at the Council of Good Local Governance are proud to have witnessed how you take on the challenge of becoming exemplars of sincere and exemplary local governance," read Abalos' letter.

"As an SGLG passer, your LGU is entitled to the SGLG Incentive Fund, and other national program windows, subject to specific guidelines," it added.

Conferment of the SGLG means the recipient adheres to performance criteria on any of the following areas: good financial housekeeping, disaster preparedness, social protection for the basic sector, business-friendliness and competitiveness, environmental management, and law and order and public safety.

Salceda is the son of Albay 2nd District Rep. Congressman Joey Salceda who, during his nine-year term as governor, also reaped international and national awards for the province.

Salceda will receive the award on 15 December at The Manila Hotel.

"Polangui is Albay's premier municipality, a hub for education, transportation and agro-industrial production in the region. It is committed to delivering exceptional love an service, upholding inclusivity, transparency, ethics, and accountability, and ensuring a thriving community for Polangueños," Salceda said in a statement on Friday.