In a continued effort to strengthen barangay governance and recognize exemplary performance in barangay justice systems, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 8 conducted the “Bridging Initiatives: SGLGB Program Review and LTIA 2025 Regional Assessment Reflections” on June 6, 2025 at the DILG Regional Office 8, Tacloban City.
The event brought together Seal of Good Local Governance for Barangays (SGLGB) and Lupong Tagapamayapa Incentives Awards (LTIA) focal officers from across the region to celebrate key accomplishments, evaluate the recent rounds of assessment, and align for the upcoming cycles of both the SGLGB and the LTIA.
In his opening remarks, DILG 8 Regional Director Arnel M. Agabe warmly welcomed the participants and recognized their dedication to raising the bar of local governance. He highlighted one of the region’s landmark achievements in 2024โthe 300% increase in SGLGB passers from 102 to 408 passers in 2024โdescribing the achievement as a testament to the growing culture of excellence in grassroots governance in Eastern Visayas.
Director Agabe added that beyond numbers, the event served as a platform for shared learning and strategic alignment as well as for recalibrating the SGLGB in light of its deferment for 2025. He also celebrated the regionโs growing recognition at the national level. Most notably, Eastern Visayas’ Brgy. Poblacion Zone 20 of Baybay City was hailed as the National Winner in the ICC/CC Category for the LTIA 2024, while eight entries were successfully submitted for the LTIA 2025, pending national results.
In the afternoon sessions, the discussion shifted to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), with a special emphasis on its application within Katarungang Pambarangay (KP). The session served as a roll-out from the Training of Trainers (TOT) on ADR Mechanism under the KP Law conducted last April 22-25, 2025 at Liloan, Cebu facilitated by the Local Government Academy (LGA).
The outputs of this program review and reflection will serve as the basis for technical assistance and policy enhancements in preparation for the 2026 implementation cycle. A re-echo of knowledge gained from the activity is also expected from the participants.
The activity closed with a collective commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, and deeper collaboration. The success of this regional convergence strengthens the commitment of DILG Region 8 to fostering local governance excellence, integrity, and community-centered leadership.
