SOME 63 municipalities and two cities from the Cordillera Administrative Region are set to receive the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) for 2016.
This has been the result of the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit done during the 2nd quarter of 2016 spearheaded by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC).
“For a city or municipality to be conferred with the SCFLG, the LGU needs to undergo an assessment process which includes table validation and field assessment conducted by various bodies,” Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Cordillera regional director Janet Armas said.
LGUs vying for the recognition are required to do a self-assessment focusing on the provision of programs and services to children, advocacy and observance of children’s rights and the integration of these to their local policies.
LGUs that pose a score not lower than 75 percent undergo a verification process done by the members of the Regional Inter-Agency Monitoring Task Force composed of representatives from the Department of Education, DILG, Department of Health, and DSWD.
The result of this assessment is then provided to the Regional Secretariat of the Council for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC) under the DSWD. The RSCWC transmits this to the CWC for further assessment.
For 2016, there are ten municipalities from Benguet Province and Baguio City conferred the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance for 2016 including 23 in Abra, five in Apayao, seven municipalities and Tabuk City in Kalinga, 10 from Ifugao and eight from Mountain Province.
The municipality of Sablan in Benguet Province under the 4th to 6th Class Municipality Category and Baguio City for Highly Urbanized City Category were able to reach the minimum 85 percent score and land in the top four of the list in the region, qualifying them to be assessed for the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities.
Also included in the top list are Tabuk City, Kalinga for the Component City Category and the municipality of Rizal, Kalinga under the 1st to 3rd Class Municipality Category. The two municipalities are also considered regional winners for the each category.
LGUs that are conferred with the Presidential Award will be able to receive a project worth P500,000. (PR)