LGU, offices for children’s protection program
The local government of Baguio in coordination with other agencies is doubling efforts to achieve a child-friendly status for the city.
The best results are on target in the next Child Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA), as City Health Services Office head Dr. Rowena Galpo reported in the management committee meeting; and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer Joe Gernale detailed in the local council for the protection of children (LCPC) the reasons the city fell short of the passing grade.
Categories and scores for the LGU CFLGA are: Survival, 15 pts; Development, 15; Protection, 15; Participation, 15; and Governance, 40 pts.
The passing score for the first four categories is 12 points each, and 32 points for Governance, with the favorable score at 80.
However, a condition is set that failure to acquire the passing level in one category, even if the overall score of 80 is reached, is reason enough for an LGU’s failure.
As seen in the report, the city scored per category as follows: Survival – 7 (below the passing score of 12); Development – 13.00; Protection – 15; Participation – 14.41; and Governance – 32.90; for a total of 82.31.
In the survival category, the city scored 8 less than the highest possible score and would have needed five points for the passing score. It fared well in children’s immunization, hurdled the numbers in the prevalence of children’s malnutrition, but barely made it in with data needed in the adolescents’ prenatal and postpartum services.
Data for 571 pregnant adolescents aged 10 – 14, and 15-19; show that 233 were recorded with at least 4 prenatal visits; with only 40.81% coverage.
Of the Three hundred fifty (350) pregnant adolescents who gave birth, 224 had at least two postpartum visits, a 64.00% coverage. Both composite scores do not reach the lowest rung for a point, thus only 7 points were collated from indicators other than the pregnant adolescents’ data.
It was then decided that for the succeeding CFLGA, confidential information from public and private health care professionals for pregnant adolescents would be collated for a clearer view on said statistics. According to Mayor Benjamin Magalong, the confidentiality of records would be strictly followed, and only pertinent data would be extracted, exclusively for the records and the CFLGA.
In other categories, the city scored well, specifically in Governance: the database and annual children’s report; implemented local plans; and local code for children adopting recently issued national laws on children.
In budgeting for childrens’ plans, programs and activities (PPAs), the city accomplished much more than needed. An allocation of 215,245,498 out of 1,961,500,000 gave the city a 10.97% allocation rate, with 4 points at the 10% cap.
For budget allocation (P215,246,498) and utilization (P281,557,603.46) for childrens’ PPAs, 130.81% was achieved, breaching the 100% cap.
Functional LCPCs; child-friendly facilities in the barangays; Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Services in public and private, accredited or recognized center, home or community-based; also scored well in the CFLGA.
Out-of-school children and youth, assisted for enrollment and re-enrollment to school, alternative learning system or other flexible learning options also found perfect marks in the CFLGA, with pupils and students from the surrounding municipalities enrolling in the city’s educational institutions.
The CFLGA is a DILG-led, result-based assessment tool, annual mandatory audit for cities and municipalities, and supported by government agencies: Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Education and Department of Health; in coordination with other agencies/offices in the regional, provincial, municipal/city level.
The LGU’s performance in implementing children-friendly policies; plans, programs and services is assessed, which serves as a basis to identify strengths and weaknesses, priority areas and identify priority areas to improve children’s situation. Results from the CFLGA are used as a basis for plans and programs for children, and also recognize good LGU practices.
A seal of CFLGA is conferred to LGUs which passed the annual assessment, and which can qualify the LGU for a presidential award for child-friendly municipality/ies and city/ies.
The seal is also a requirement for the Seal of Local Governance of the DILG.
The legal basis for the CFLGA includes the local government code of 1991, Ambisyon 2040, Philippine Development Plan, third national plan of Action and the 2030 Sustainable Development goals and several executive orders. – JGF
