Taguig gets 'child friendly local governance' seal

MANILA, Philippines - Taguig City has bested the other cities of Metro Manila in being the most “child sensitive” after being recognized for its “child friendly local governance” for 2015 by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC).

The recognition was given during the CWC’s regional awarding and conferment ceremony held in Mandaluyong City last January 22.

According to the Taguig City government, for the second year, the city has ranked among the top local government units of Metro Manila in protecting children's rights and upholding the welfare of children through its various programs.

The child-friendly local governance seal is given to a local government unit in recognition of its programs that promote child rights, development, protection and participation.

“I commend our social workers, our doctors down to our health volunteers, our policemen, and barangays for serving and protecting our children. It is a job well done. Our children’s rights to healthcare, education and welfare are top priorities in Taguig. We create ordinances for their welfare and get them involve and participate in our programs,” said Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano.

Included in the list of the city government programs that address the needs of the children is the highly successful Lifeline Assistance for Neighbors In-Need (LANI) Scholarship Program aimed at helping poor students get quality education. In just four years, the scholarship program has assisted 30,000 scholars. It started with a P100 million scholarship fund and every year since 2011, the budget has increased by P100 million. It now stands at P600 Million.

In the health sector, the Taguig City Health Office prides itself in implementing programs to protect infants from diseases.

“To keep our children healthy, we also need to protect and educate their mothers. We launched Buntis Congress to promote safe motherhood. It also encouraged breastfeeding, immunization and family planning. This way, we, alongside with the mothers, can protect their children from diseases,” the City Health Office’s head Dr. Isaias Ramos said.

Last year, the city-run Taguig Pateros District Hospital (TPDH) got the “baby-friendly hospital” seal after it passed the strict standards set by the Department of Health. TPDH now boasts of having the city's own milk bank.

The Taguig City government also scored high in the fight against malnutrition having won the Green Banner award for two consecutive years. 

Other city health programs that prioritize children’s healthcare are the free HIV test and Service Delivery Network which refers patients from health centers to other hospitals and foundations that can finance chemotherapy and other treatments. 

The early child development program is also strong in Taguig. Currently, the City Social Welfare Office operates 134 day care centers  teaching  children and preparing them for primary school.

The city government also provides Cyber Laboratory or I.T. Rooms for elementary and high school students to get an edge to the digital world. The city has renovated and constructed school buildings now popularly called "cool schools" because of the air-conditioning units provided by the city government.

The city is also heavily involved in implementing intervention programs concerning Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL). The Women and Children's Desk of the Taguig City Police Station actively protects the rights of the CICL. 

According to Chief Inspector Ma. Edna Catilogo of the Taguig Police's Women and Children's Desk, they make sure that the protection of the rights of a child is given priority. 

Together with the City Social Welfare and Development, they protect both the victim and the respondent especially if they are both minors.

“We are also active in conducting seminars to our barangay units to strictly implement the curfew ordinance. Through the curfew implementation we can minimize the risk to children being exposed to crimes and accidents” Catilogo added.