Just how child-friendly are LGUs?

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas: Children’s welfare. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Here’s a child-friendly reminder to local government units.

LGUs should beef up their services that promote children’s welfare following a directive by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) requiring a mandatory appraisal of their performance.

Beginning this year, the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) of the DILG will measure the performance of all cities and municipalities in their delivery of services that generate positive results for children.

“We need the cooperation of our LGUs as a main partner in delivering services and programs promoting our children’s welfare,” said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas in a statement.

Roxas instructed DILG regional directors to organize CFLGA audit teams even as he urged local officials to support the audit.

The LGUs will be graded based on 12 assessment points, among them, percentage reduction in deaths among children under 5 years; percentage reduction in the number of children under 6 with below normal weight; and percentage increase in the number of 3- to 4-year-olds attending center-based day care services.

The assessment criteria will use benchmarks and a scaling system in measuring the LGUs’ results and performance, consistent with national standards, averages or targets.

Roxas said the child-friendly audit of LGUs is geared toward addressing a child’s right to survival, development, protection and participation.

“This is one of the ways we can make our communities more child-sensitive and child-friendly,” he added.

Roxas urged governors, mayors, including officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, to support the audit.

The Council for the Welfare of Children has adopted the audit and will be using the results as a basis for awarding the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance to LGUs.