MONKAYO, Compostela Valley – Recognizing its commitment to create and ensure a child-friendly environment and governance, the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) and Regional Director Mercedita P. Jabagat, DSWD-FO XI, conferred the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) to the Municipality of Monkayo.

Mayor Ramil L. Gentugaya received the award together with the Sangguniang Bayan members during the inauguration and blessing of infrastructure projects on July 21, 2017 at the Women Activity Center, Poblacion, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

In her message, Dir. Jabagat chronicled the institutionalization of the award as it was first launched on October 8, 2014, through the Council for the Welfare of Children’s “Child-Friendly Philippines: A Caring and Protective Society for, by, and with the Children”.

It is the advocacy and programming framework adopted by the CWC in response to both national (Child 21 and 2nd National Plan of Action for Children) and international commitments. It is consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) and it requires the involvement of different stakeholders at various levels.

This framework promotes child-friendly local governance wherein local government units (LGUs) give priority to children in their planning, budgeting, legislation and delivery of services and is able to assure that all children enjoy their rights classified as survival, development, protection, and participation.

One of the strategies developed to achieve the Child-Friendly Philippines is the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) which is a recognition system for LGUs that deliver positive results for children’s wellbeing, she added.

Mayor Gentugaya said that the conferment of the Seal proved that the municipality is geared towards supporting and initiating children’s rights promotion and protection. (Monkayo Information Office)