The Caloocan city government announced on Sunday, Nov. 12, that it was cited as one of the "child-friendly" local government units (LGU) in the country by the Regional Committee for the Welfare of Children (RCWC) for its efforts in ensuring the safety and welfare of children.
"Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa RCWC para sa kanilang pagkilala sa natatanging mga programa ng ating lungsod sa pangangalaga ng interes at kapakanan ng mga kabataan (We thank the RCWC for recognizing our city's programs for the interest and welfare of children),” Caloocan City Mayor Dale Gonzalo "Along" Malapitan said.
The "Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance" was conferred by the RCWC to the city government as a result of the 2022 Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA).
CFLGA is an annual assessment of the performance of cities and municipalities in implementing child-friendly policies, programs, projects and services, according to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). It started in 2014.
The LGUs will be assessed based on a set of criteria, such as child-friendly facilities in the barangays; budget allocated and utilized for children’s programs; functional local councils for the protection of children (LCPC) with child representation; and children’s participation in the development of programs, projects and activities.
The DILG said that for an LGU to pass the audit, it must obtain an overall passing rate of 80 percent with a minimum required score of 12 each for the Survival, Development, Protection, and Participation categories and 32 points for the Governance category.
The city government said it implemented various initiatives including a family day to strengthen the bond of the children and their parents; Batang Kankaloo Kids' Camp that aims to promote the children's physical and well-being while allowing them to spend time with their family; and art, photography and dance workshops for the development of children in the city.
“Muli po, makakaasa po kayo na sa pagtutulungan ng iba’t-ibang mga kagawaran ng pamahalaang lungsod, patuloy nating palalakasin ang mga hakbang upang lahat ng mga Batang Kankaloo ay maging malusog, masaya, at ligtas. Lahat po ito ay para sa magandang kinabukasan ng ating mga anak (Again, you can count on the cooperation of various government departments, we will continue to strengthen the measures so that all Batang Kankaloo can be healthy, happy, and safe. All this is for the good future of our children)," the mayor added.