THE Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), conferred the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) to 38 Cordillera local government units (LGUs) for their excellent programs and services for children in 2016 last August 3.
Conferees for the province of Abra were the municipal LGUs of Boliney, Daguioman, La Paz, Lacub, Lagangilang, Langiden, Pidigan, Pilar and San Quintin.
For Apayao, awardees were Calanasan, Conner, Flora and Santa Marcela. For Benguet, seal recipients were Bokod, Itogon, Mankayan, La Trinidad, Sablan and Tuba.
For Ifugao, the awardees were Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Asipulo, Banaue, Kiangan, Lagawe, Lamut and Tinoc; Lubuagan, Rizal, Tabuk City, Tanudan, Pinukpuk and Balbalan for the province of Kalinga, and the LGUs of Bontoc, Natonin, Sabangan and Sadanga for Mountain Province.
Completing the awardees is Baguio City.
DSWD Cordillera regional director Janet Armas led members of the Regional Committee for the Welfare of Children in conferring the award. The Commission on the Welfare of Children was represented by Jeesson Alamar in the awarding ceremony.
Local chief executives present to personally receive the award for their LGUs were Lubuagan Mayor Johnny Dickpus, Santa Marcela, Apayao councilor Haydie Tesalona, Mankayan Mayor Materno Luspian, La Trinidad councilor Estrella Adeban, Kiangan Mayor Joselito Guyguyon, Lamut Vice Mayor Adryan Chaguile, Alfonso Lista Mayor Glenn Prudenciano, Tinoc Mayor Marcelo Catalino and Balbalan Mayor Ruben Dungui-is.
Armas stressed the importance of a continuing partnership in ensuring the children were provided with the best services due to them. She also challenged the awardees along with the first batch of 27 Cordillera LGUs that were awarded with the Sal to continue to become regional awardees and better, to aim higher and become national awardees.
CWC executive director Mary Mitzi Cajayon–Uy, in a message read by Alamar, called for a continuing partnership with LGUs in ensuring that the Filipino children’s rights and welfare are protected even in the remotest barangays. She pointed out that though the children are the building block of a strong nation, they still remain as the most vulnerable sector of the society.
The SCFLG is conferred to LGUs that pass the mandatory annual Child – Friendly Local Governance Audit spearheaded by the Department of Interior and Local Government, DSWD and the Department of Education.
For 2016, CWC data shows that 1,176 cities/municipalities, nationwide were eligible for the SCFLG. (PR)