2 C. Valley LGUs cited for being child-friendly

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – One of this region’s interior towns, which elected its first woman mayor in last year’s elections, and cities, also led by a woman mayor, have received presidential awards for being among the country’s most child-friendly local government units (LGUs) this year.

The town of Villaverde in this province and Santiago City in Isabela were formally bestowed the honors for the fourth- to sixth-class towns and independent cities’ categories, respectively, by no less than President Aquino in a ceremony held at Malacañang last Oct. 27.

The other national winners were Mariveles in Bataan (first- to third-class towns), Vigan City in Ilocos Sur (component cities), and Mandaluyong City (highly urbanized cities).

Villaverde officials led by Mayor Ronelie Valtoribio received the award for the municipality, which also recently bagged another presidential award for good housekeeping, making it qualify for the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s P1-million Performance Challenge Fund. 

Besides the awards, cash incentives, including P500,000 each from the Office of the President to fund programs for children, also await the winners in this year’s search.

The search for the Most Child-Friendly LGUs is an inter-agency program for children by the National Council for the Welfare of Children composed of the departments of Social Welfare and Development, Health, Interior and Local Government, and Environment and Natural Resources, and the National Nutrition Council.

Villaverde, an interior farming town, was cited for its initiatives to recognize and advance the welfare and protection of children and the youth, especially its environmental awareness program dubbed as the “Green World of Villaverde Hidden for a Brighter Future for the Children.”

Under the program, which Valtoribio said is now part of the town’s long-term development agenda, local children are encouraged to plant trees to inculcate in them at an early stage the need to protect the environment.

“We anchored our plans and programs for the children on environmental concerns,” said Valtoribio.

She added that Villaverde’s high level of enrollment and low level of dropouts among the youth were also considered by the judging panel.