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

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