By: Lemuel C. Mejares –  LGOO VI | DILG FIELD OFFICE

DIPLAHAN, ZSP — Municipality of Diplahan garnered the highest rating with 91.8% for FY 2022 performance in the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC), following the official result released by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) provincial assessment team.

The provincial validating team assessed the performance of the local council for the protection of children (LCPC) of 16 municipalities based on DILG Memorandum Circular 2021-39 which provides guidelines for the establishment and operation of LCPC as well as for their monitoring and evaluation with the objective of ensuring that they are functional, relevant and effective.

The LCPCs performance are assessed based on the following criteria: organizational sustainability (20%), policies and plans for children (30%), budget for the MCPC (20%), and service delivery monitoring and management for children (20%).

Despite the challenges and restrictions brought about by the pandemic, LCPC Diplahan continued to provide the basic children’s need for their survival, development, protection, participation and involvement in governance.

To ensure maximum participation of children, a children’s congress and selection of sectoral representatives was conducted among members and representatives from 22 BCPCs, school organization and church representatives and other children’s organization .Their convergence have greatly contributed in developing appropriate action plan and policies for children.

On policies and plans, LCPC formulated resolutions addressing the current and relevant needs of the children that were also adopted by the Sangguniang Bayan of Diplahan to include the institutionalization of Children’s Representatives Assistance Fund that entitled child representatives to get financial assistance amounting to Php 1,000 per attendance in the quarterly LCPC meetings. Another one is financial incentives to best performing barangay council for the protection of children (BCPC).

The Local Government Unit of Diplahan also ensured that children can participate to LGU’s activities and festivals. Last year’s celebration of the Kasadyahan Festival, Diplahan arranged festivities, sports and games such as fun runs, palosebo and piglet hunting for children that nurtured, developed children’s skills.

With all these development, the Council is hopeful that with the active and full support of attached agencies especially the social protection cluster, the objective to sustain and achieve the gains of providing the best and maximum protection to the children’s rights and the elimination of all forms of abuses and discrimination among children shall be enjoyed by all Diplahanons.#