Iloilo city vies for Nat’l child friendly award

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo

For the second time around, Iloilo City is again a national finalist in the 2018 Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities (PACFMC) under the highly urbanized city category by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC).

In 2017, Iloilo City also competed against Cebu and Mandaluyong in the same category.

Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) assistant department head Merlyn Gison said the award giving body must have seen the best practices and efforts done by the city government to strengthen the welfare of children.

“We have very good programming of one percent of the annual budget for the programs, projects and activities of our children. We have specific laws and policies nga ginpasar and ginubra para ma-strengthen ang pag-foster sang welfare and best interest of our children,” he said.

Gison said the city’s Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) being functional is one of the major factors that the city was considered in the award.

According to Gison, Iloilo City is the only city that has a set of social workers responding to children cases in the metro during night time.

“The members of the council are doing their share. In fact, we are the only city that has a night duty for social workers for them to respond to the cases of children in the city,” he said.

She also emphasized that there is a good partnership between the city government and the Women and Children Protection Desk.

The national award committee is set to visit Iloilo City from July 9 to 13 for the validation.

The team will be composed of representatives from Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), National Council of Social Development, and CWC.