The Development Academy of the Philippines’ Center for Governance (CFG), through its Local Governance and Development Office, gathered key representatives of different local government units to familiarize them with child rights and responsive governance through the Basic Course on Child Rights-Responsive Governance (CRRG) held at the New Horizon Hotel in Mandaluyong City from January 18-20, 2016.

DAP President Antonio D. Kalaw Jr. welcomes participants in the Basic Course on Child Rights-Responsive Governance.

Seventeen LGU representatives attended the course, including Misamis Occidental Board Member Zaldy Daminar, Nagcarlan Vice Mayor Lourdes Arcasetas, San Guillermo Mayor Marilou Sanchez and select representatives from the social welfare, health, education, population, planning and budget, and other offices directly working on child rights in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon; Victorias City, Negros Occidental; San Pablo City, Laguna; Quezon City; Valenzuela City and Marilao, Bulacan.

Child rights and issues

The participants engaged in discussions and group exercises on child rights, on issues affecting children like cybercrime and malnutrition, and on approaches to mainstreaming child rights in local governance and development.  The participants also learned from the best practices shared by key    officials from child-friendly LGUs, such as the cities of Davao and Naga, and the municipalities of New Lucena (Iloilo) and Upi (Maguindanao).

The third day of the course enabled the participants to translate their knowledge into specific project concepts that they also presented to a panel of reviewers consisting of DAP Vice President Imelda C. Caluen, Council for the Welfare of Children Planning Officer Ms. Maria Alpha A. Larga and Naga City Councilor Elmer S. Baldemoro.

PADK welcome

DAP President Antonio D. Kalaw Jr. welcomed the participants to the three-day course, which was designed to equip LGUs and other stakeholders with basic knowledge and skills in developing and implementing local projects in response to the needs and the rights of children to survival, development, protection and participation.

In his opening remarks, Kalaw cited the series of training courses on child rights that have been conducted by the DAP in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).  He also mentioned the Academy’s effort to develop this new course design on children that is now included in the CFG’s roster of courses being offered to the public. – Jannis Montañez