DILG-NCR becomes one of the first regional offices to be awarded the Safety Seal Certification on July 5 for its compliance with the health and safety protocols against COVID-19.

Regional Director Maria Lourdes Agustin accepted the award from the Safety Seal Inspection and Certification Committee composed of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Quezon City Fire District (QCFD), and the DILG Quezon City Field Office during the ceremonial awarding and posting of the Safety Seal at the regional office.

The Safety Seal Portal user manual developed by the DILG-NCR, the pilot region for implementation of the program, was also turned over to DILG-Region 6 to help them navigate the portal containing all the information needed to apply for, qualify, and earn a safety seal certification.

This is part of the continuing efforts of the regional office to assist and encourage other offices to increase public confidence as the government safely and gradually reopens public establishments.

DILG-Region 6 Regional Director Juan Jovian E. Ingeniero was present to receive the user manual for their use in the Western Visayas region.

He thanked DILG-NCR for sharing the portal to DILG Region 6. The partnership emphasized the commitment to build a strong camaraderie between the two regional offices in promoting good local governance and strengthening internal organizational capacity.

The concerned government agencies initiated the Safety Seal program through a Joint Memorandum Circular to establish minimum standards by which public and private sector entities may safely conduct normal activities during the pandemic. Envisioned as a continuing program, safety seal certifications are reviewed every 6 months and revalidated if standards are maintained.

The Safety Seal is meant to incentivize adherence to health standards and protocols by businesses and government agencies. At the same time, it assures the public that they can safely transact with entities certified by the Seal, while masked and socially distanced, with minimal risk of contracting COVID-19 infection.

To date, the DILG-PNP-BFP issuing authority has awarded Safety Seal Certifications to 698 government offices in NCR. #