LGUs' Role in Creating Child-Friendly Urban Cities - Department of ...

Keynote Speech
Second Forum on Children in the Urban Environment
Ateneo de Manila University, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
August 23, 2011
LGUs’ Role in Creating Child-Friendly Urban Cities
Hon. Jesse M. Robredo
Secretary, Department of Interior and Local Government
Ms. Vanessa Tobin, UNICEF Representative, Fr. Jose Ramon Villarin, President
of the Ateneo de Manila University, Dr. Czarina Saloma-Akpedonu, director of
the Institute of Philippine Culture, social scientists, LGU officials, students and,
most important of all, / the children who will lend their voices to this important
conversation, / good morning.
There is no discussion, no endeavor, no success more important than making our
cities and towns safe and nurturing for children. / In the increasingly fragmented
communities we live in, nothing could bring us closer together than the welfare of
our young. / In our day jobs, we might work for the government, universities, or
international organizations, / but the truth is, the work that is incumbent in all of
us is to preserve whatever good there is in this planet so that we could bequeath it
to our children in its best possible state.
I sense that the results of this conference will be very useful to chief executives of
towns and cities all over the country. / You will touch on education, health, child
protection and local justice--such conversations are important in my line of work
because, / if I may paraphrase the President, “kayo, mga bata, ang boss ko.”
Regretfully, things are not looking good for children in the urban setting. / In
Metro Manila alone, one of four residents live in informal settlements. / Think
about that figure for a moment. / When you go to the mall, that’s one in four of
the people you see.

The MMDA says more than half a million families live in informal settlements. /
If you use ADB data, that number goes up to almost three-fourths of a million. /
Around 41% of that figure lives in informal settlements on government lands,
34% on private lands, 21% in dangerous areas.
IPC figures show there are around two million children who are systematically
deprived of their rights in Metro Manila. / We see many of them on the streets
every day. / They lack access to health services, good toilets, quality education,
and a chance to live a normal childhood. / It’s pointless to discuss with them
whether they have “go, grow, and glow” in their diets. / Proper nutrition is not
pertinent in their daily conversations, / but hunger is / because their one big
question is how to eat three times a day.
Local governments can do many things to change these deplorable conditions, /
especially when it comes to children / who live with constant threats of
demolition and distant relocation. / The DILG recognizes the need for LGUs to
providing shelter that are not only affordable, / but also create communities
where the young can flourish and not be scared of constant demolition.
This will require a holistic approach for resettlement / that will not pluck families
away from their sources of income. / The DILG is advocating for densified onsite
redevelopment or in-city relocation, / which has legal basis in the Constitution, in
the Local Government Code, and in the Urban Development and Housing Act. /
The President has already approved our proposal for prioritization of onsite or in-
city redevelopment. / We are taking a multi-stakeholder track that recognizes the
role of non-government, community-based, and sectoral organizations’
participation / in solving the problem of informal settlers in cities. /
DILG is also looking into structures that protect the rights of children. / The
Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) is crucial in pushing the

entire country towards the lofty goals of the National Framework Plan
Development for Children or Child 21. / With the passage of RA 9344, otherwise
known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, / LCPCs are placed front
and center of creating child-friendly communities.
Our latest Memorandum Circular strengthens the LCPC further / by strictly
monitoring its functionality. / The country has a total of 43,739 LGUs. / Of this
number, only 84% have reorganized LCPCs. / Our assessment for 2010 indicates
that on average, / only seven of the 16 regions (excluding ARMM) have councils
at the provincial level that are fully functional, / only ten at the city level, / one at
the municipal level / and none at all at the barangay level.
These figures raise a lot of hot-button issues in the issue of child protection. / The
problem is that LCPCs do not have adequate budgetary support / unlike the Local
School Board and other councils. / One percent of IRA is too small for persons
everybody calls the future leaders of this country. / If the Mayor feels generous,
he can use his Economic Development Fund for programs that benefit children
like rural health centers and school workbooks / but we can’t leave the welfare of
children to big “ifs.”
LGUs who have met the criteria for the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF) are
expected to use the money for projects that will help the country meet the
Millenium Development Goals. / More than 300 LGUs, 17 cities, and 4 provinces
have close to 400 million pesos to divide among their priority programs. / The
DILG can ask its field people to encourage LGUs to prioritize programs for
creating child-friendly cities, / but we need your help to lobby and send proposals
to LGUs so that the money is not spent on basketball courts. /There is still time to
advocate for children’s rights; you have 23 days to go before September 15.

The DILG will also ask the Philippine National Police to devise a program to
strengthen the capacity of Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children
(BCPCs) to protect the rights of children. / Working for improved coordination
between barangays and law enforcement can be part of the community relations
program of our police force. /
Again, CSOs and concerned groups can help the DILG in this intervention. /
There are more than 42,000 barangays in the country. / We need to define
priority areas. / The UNICEF, Ateneo, IPC, the DSWD, the PNP, and other
concerned organizations could create a convergence plan for this intervention. /
Lastly, we have been discussing with the DSWD a plan to include the LCPC in the
monitoring mechanism for the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program. / You
have heard about the sad stories of families using CCT money to buy alcohol and
cigarettes. / BCPCs are uniquely positioned to validate these misbehaviors at the
barangay level / and should be empowered to recommend suspension of families
if needed. / Of course, BCPCs will have to undergo capability building to do this
well.
There are best practices in many cities that can be adopted by others. / When
local chief executives share leadership and responsibility, / programs are more
creative, effective, and sustainable. / I’ve seen this in Naga City; I’ve seen this in
many cities around the country. / Our EduCare Program, which provided quality
pre-school education for Naga’s working mothers who were fighting poverty,
recently got another award. / Children in Naga City are involved in decision
making because they are represented in our People’s Council. / As much as
possible, we want their voices heard.
Let me paraphrase a writer who said that children could lead us into more perfect
cities if we but listen to them. / You see, a child-friendly city works best for

everyone. / Ask an illiterate mother in Maguindanao who wants the best
education for her child. / Ask a small businessman in Dumaguete who is hoping
there are more skilled workers he can hire. / Ask a laborer in Pasay who yearns
for more child-friendly walkways around the city / and more greenery in simple
playgrounds in Metro Manila where he could also catch his breath. / We only
have to listen well. Because in reality, we have not listened to the children. In
reality, we have not given them a voice. I believe that there was a time in our lives
when parents decide on their children on what to become or what is good for
them. If only we ask them, we would have a better idea.
Thank you very much for this chance to join the conversation. / Since a
conversation involves both talking and listening, / I am looking forward to
listening to the outcomes of this forum. / Thank you for the opportunity.