PROVINCE OF ISABELA – The local government units of San Guillermo and San Isidro have actively utilized their Local Government Support Funds (LGSF) and Seal of Good Local Governance Incentive Funds (SGLGIF) to enhance a range of essential public services, aiming to better meet the needs of their communities. These initiatives were ceremonially inaugurated on October 29, 2024.
Officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), led by Regional Director Agnes A. De Leon, Isabela Provincial Director Corazon D. Toribio, Cluster Head Karla Bernadette M. Rollan, and representatives from the Regional and Provincial Project Development and Management Unit (PDMU), attended both events. Also present during the inauguration in San Guillermo were MLGOO Glen Xyrus V. Realin and MLGOO Joselyn C. Hermosura for San Isidro.
In LGU San Guillermo, attendees included Mayor Felipe N. Guyud, Vice Mayor Atty. Bernardine M. Lucas, other local elected officials, and barangay captains from the beneficiary barangays of Brgy. Dingading and Brgy. Nakar. The Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, the 86th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Division Superintendent Elvie D. Guillermo of the Department of Education (DepEd) - Isabela were also in attendance.
In the Municipality of San Isidro, Mayor Vilmer T. Bravo, Vice Mayor Leonardo A. Tumamao, along with other local elected officials and functionaries, participated in the inauguration.
In her speech to the LGU of San Guillermo, RD De Leon commended the timely completion and utilization of an essential evacuation center funded under the Financial Assistance to Local Government Units (LGSF-FALGU), which recently provided refuge during Typhoon Kristine. These projects—such as the concrete farm-to-market road funded through the Support to the Barangay Development Program (SBDP) and the new service vehicle purchased through the SGLGIF—reflect the LGU’s commitment to safety, livelihood improvement, and effective public service delivery.
In San Isidro, RD De Leon emphasized that the solar street lighting project, funded through the SGLGIF, on market roads and key areas demonstrates the local government’s dedication to creating a safer and more sustainable community, enhancing road safety and promoting energy efficiency for the benefit of residents and future generations.
PD Toribio praised the hard work and dedication of the functionaries in San Guillermo and San Isidro, underscoring the DILG’s unwavering support for their initiatives. She highlighted the significance of the SGLG recognition process, celebrating San Isidro’s achievement as a first-time awardee and expressing her goal for all Isabela LGUs to attain the SGLG award in the future.
Mayor Guyud of San Guillermo shared his journey from being a struggling entrepreneur transporting goods on muddy, inaccessible roads to witnessing the transformative impact of improved infrastructure in San Guillermo. He expressed gratitude to the DILG and his supportive constituents, encouraging everyone to pursue farming as an additional source of income for the community’s economic growth.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bravo of San Isidro expressed pride in the high-quality solar streetlights installed for their new public market, which will save residents from traveling to Santiago for their market needs. He expressed gratitude for the SGLG award, viewing it as a recognition of the collective efforts of the entire LGU, while also hoping for the return of previous programs under the LGSF to support further local development.
The ceremonial inaugurations for both San Guillermo and San Isidro mark their efforts to leverage funding from the LGSF and SGLGIF to enhance public services, contributing to the overall safety and development of their communities.
IO II Louella Marie T. Pader
