SAN MIGUEL, Leyte- This town is giving importance in providing a child-friendly environment by ensuring, among others, their personal hygiene are taking care of. During the town’s 98th founding anniversary on March 10 tooth brush kits were distributed among day-care children to make them know how to brush their teeth properly and regularly. Making her town as child-friendly is one of her top agenda reason why her administration has come up with programs geared towards children, said town Mayor Cheeryl Enrica Esperas. Other programs for the children include hygiene program such as alis-kuto (anti-lice) campaign and hand washing, while their feeding program is also done regularly all year round.
“We are really working for program that involve the fulfillment of the right of our children to a clean, healthful environment as well as provide them a comfortable learning day care centers and schools,” Esperas said. Mayor Esperas disclosed that they have earlier tied up with the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) for the provision of kiddie tables and chairs for all the 24 day care centers of the municipality.
Most of the tables and chairs used by the children were already old, dilapidated, or destroyed during the previous typhoons, she said. Meanwhile, day care centers which were destroyed during the onslaught of supertyphoon “Yolanda” and sustained further damages when San Miguel was hit in succession by typhoons “Ruby” and “Senyang” last year are already undergoing rehabilitation. Local government units were earlier directed by the Department of Interior and Local Government to beef up their services that will promote children’s welfare.
Under the said directive, LGU must comply the following: inclusion of children’s issues in the executive-legislative agenda, mainstreaming of child rights, peace building and disaster risk reduction in the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) and Annual Investment Plan (AIP) including the Local Poverty Reduction Action Plan (LPRAP), rendering of an annual State of the Children Report. In 2014, the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) of the DILG started to measure the performance of all cities and municipalities in their delivery of services that generate positive results for children. (AHLETTE C. REYES/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
