Davao City (DSWD XI) – The Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children XI (RSCWC-XI) led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and in coordination with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Department of Education (DepEd) conferred recently the 2016 Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) to 31 local government units in Davao Region to recognize and commend their commitment in creating and ensuring child-responsive governance.

“The framework promotes a governance wherein Local Government Units (LGUs) give priority to children in their planning, budgeting, legislation and delivery of services. One of the strategies developed to achieve a Child-Friendly Philippines is the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) which is a recognition system for LGUs that deliver positive results for the children’s well-being,” said RSCWC XI Chairperson and DSWD Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat.

The LGUs are audited based on the following twelve (12) criteria: (1) Percentage reduction in the deaths among children below five years old or under-five mortality rate; (2) Percentage reduction in the number of children under-six with below normal weight; (3) Percentage increase in the number of 3-4 year-old children attending center-based day care services; (4) Completion rate for elementary schooling; (5) Absence of child labor or percentage reduction in child labor cases; (6) Percentage reduction in the number of children victims of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation (all forms, including physical violence, sexual abuse and exploitation, and trafficking in persons); (7) Safety measures for children in the community and schools; (8) Extent of mainstreaming of children’s rights to survival, development, protection and participation in the core development agenda of LGUs (this includes LCPC functionality and child participation); (9) An ordinance establishing Barangay Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Desks; (10) 2016 PhilHealth accreditation in its main health facility or rural health unit for the Maternal Care Services and Primary Care; (11) A Local School Board (LSB) Plan for CY 2016 that is aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP); and (12) Completed at least 70% of its LSB Plan for 2016.

Conferees of the SCFLG were shortlisted and validated for the Presidential Award for Child Friendly Municipalities and Cities.

Regional 2016 conferees are: (Davao Oriental) Baganga, Banaybanay, San Isidro, Manay, Mati City, Tarragona; (Compostela Valley) Compostela, Laak, Mabini, Maco, Maragusan, Mawab, Monkayo, Montevista, New Bataan; (Davao Del Norte) Asuncion, Braulio E. Dujali, Carmen, IGaCoS, Panabo City, San Isidro,  Tagum, Talaingod; (Davao Del Sur) Digos City, Hagonoy, Magsaysay,  Malalag, Matanao, Padada, Santa Cruz; and Davao City.

The National CWC launched the “Child-Friendly Philippines: A Caring and Protective Society for, by, and with the Children” on October 8, 2014.

It is the advocacy of the programming framework adopted by the CWC in response to both national and international commitments.

It is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which requires the involvement of different stakeholders at various levels. (DSWD)