ILOILO – Twenty-eight local government units (LGUs) in this province were awarded the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance for 2018 during the recent 2019 Children’s Month celebration of the Iloilo provincial government.
These LGUs met the parameters for child-friendly governance set by the Regional Council for the Protection of Children, according to Dr. Neneth Pador, chief of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO).
The Regional Council for the Protection of Children is made up of the regional offices of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Interior and Local Government.
The following were the parameters:
* LGU must have a local development plan, investment plan and local code for children
* the local chief executive must deliver a State of the Children Address
* LGU must conduct information drive on the rights of children (right for survival, protection, development and participation)
* LGU must allot one percent of its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) for the implementation of programs and services for children
The 28 LGUs awarded with the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance were the following:
* Dueñas
* Maasin
* San Dionisio
* Calinog
* New Lucena
* Oton
* Pavia
* Tigbauan
* Tubungan
* Balasan
* Pototan
* Concepcion
* Dumangas
* San Miguel
* Alimodian
* Batad
* Estancia
* Lambunao
* San Joaquin
* Zarraga
* Leganes
* Dingle
* Janiuay
* Carles
* Igbaras
* Badiangan
* San Enrique
* Barotac Viejo
According to Pador, other LGUs that failed to bag the seal may have difficulty meeting the criterion on allotting one percent of their IRA for programs and services for children, or their municipal social welfare and development offices of these LGUs may also have so many things to attend to.
“The PSWDO will help them,” said Pador./PN
