NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. and Dr. Stefan Maria Jost, country representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), signed an Integrity Pledge with the Local Government Integrity Circles (LoGIC) Network at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City, Wednesday, September 12.

It is a commitment to the ethical practices and good governance for the Province of Negros Occidental, from which the local government unit (LGU) pledges to combat graft in any form and in all activities; uphold, monitor, and ensure the implementation of Republic Act No. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; and maintain appropriate financial reporting mechanisms that ensure accuracy and transparency, among others.

According to Acting Provincial Administrator Lucille Gelvolea, Negros Occidental is one of the 13 priority provinces in the country to be part of LoGIC; the LGUs were selected according to its ranking in the National Competitiveness Council, Seal of Good Local Governance Award, Peace and Order Situation and Good Governance.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Province and LoGIC was also signed earlier setting forth the rights, responsibilities and cooperation procedures of the partners in the framework of LoGIC Project and LoGIC Network.

The MOU also identified the roles and responsibilities of each party as they relate to the development and sustainability of integrity mechanisms in business and investment-related procedures in the Province of Negros Occidental.

The European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) are co-funding the LoGIC Project in the Philippines.

The project’s overall objective is to contribute to a culture of integrity in LGUs all over the Philippines. 

It is implemented by a Consortium led by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) with the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), the Centrist Democracy Political Institute (CDPI), League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Provinces of the Philippines, and League of Municipalities of the Philippines. (PR)

Article was originally posted on September 13, 2018 at the Sun Star Network online