MANILA, Philippines (PIA) -- Starting this year, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) will assess the performance of local government units (LGUs) in the delivery of social services that promote the welfare of children.
 
Called the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA), the audit system will measure LGUs performance in the delivery of services that would generate positive results for children, says DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.
 
Under the CFLGA, all cities and municipalities shall be assessed to gauge their level of performance in implementing child-friendly programs and instituting measures that promote children’s welfare.
 
He urged provincial governors, city and municipal mayors including local officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to support the CFLGA.
 
In a circular, Roxas ordered DILG regional directors to organize and mobilize audit teams at all levels to coordinate with the LGUs in the conduct of the CFLGA and appealed to LGUs led by provincial governors, city and municipal mayors for their support.
 
Roxas said the national government’s efforts in tandem with the LGUs are geared towards addressing the four broad categories of a child’s right to survival, development, protection, and participation.
  
“Isa itong paraan upang isulong ang pagiging child-sensitive at child-friendly ng ating mga komunidad,” Roxas said. (This is one way to promote child-sensitivity and child-friendly in our communities.)
 
The Council for the Welfare of Chidren has adopted the audit and would be using the audit result as inputs in the conferment of the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance.
 
LGUs shall be assessed based on 12 assessment criteria. These are: 1) Percentage reduction in the deaths among children below five years old; 2) Percentage reduction in the number od children under six with below normal weights; 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; 9) An ordinance establishing Barangay Violence Against Women and their Children (VAW/C) Desks; 10) 2013 Philhealth accreditation in its main health facility or rural health unit for Maternal Care Services and Primary Care; 11) A Local School Board (LSB) Plan for CY 2013 that is aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP); 12) Completed at least 70% of its LSB Plan for 2013.
 
The assessment criteria shall use benchmarks and a scaling system in measuring the results and performance of the LGUs consistent to national standards, averages or targets.