Gensan receives Child Friendly Seal

GENERAL SANTOS CITY (14 April 2015) – The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) has given its stamp of approval to the Local Government Unit of General Santos (LGU-GSC) by giving the city the 2014 Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG).

The award comes after LGU-GSC passed the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA).

The CFLGA is a mandatory audit system crafted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) last 2013 -- in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd) and Department of Social Welfare and Development -- to ensure that LGUs all over the country are active in pursuing the delivery of effective social services to the children and the youth.

Some of the gauges set by the DILG for the CFLGA are completion rate for elementary schooling; safety measures for children in the community and schools; extent of mainstreaming of children’s rights to core development agenda of LGUs; an ordinance establishing Barangay Violence Against Women and their Children (VAW/C) desks; PHILHEALTH accreditation in its main health facility or rural health unit for Maternal Care Services and Primary Care; a Local School Board (LSB) plan for CY 2013 that is aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP);  and 70% completion of the LGUs LSB Plan for 2013.

“I am glad that they have noticed our efforts in making the local government child-friendly. We will make sure that we will continue to deliver services that will benefit our children and youth,” City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said.

Under his flagship program CLEAN Gensan (Creating a Livable Environment for All Generals towards Nation-building), Mayor Rivera specified that LGU Gensan will be focused on improving it services in the areas of education, health, and social services.

“I chose these areas because they are needed by our constituents, especially by the children, women, and elderlies. They are our vulnerable sector that is why we should take care of them,” Mayor Rivera said.  

Mayor Rivera has launched various initiatives that are anchored on the CFLGA criteria.

The mayor has also strengthened partnership with DepEd and private agencies to raise the educational standards and academic learning here in Gensan.

Programs like enhanced Early Childhood Care Development Initiative (ECCDI), Community Teach, and Project Modelo were implemented to further promote the rights of the children towards quality education.

LGU Gensan employees have also taken part in building additional classrooms through the “Piso Ko, Klasrum Mo” program.

Every month, each employee has to donate P1 from their salary. This amount will be accumulated by the General Santos City Government Employees Association (GSCGEA) for the construction of makeshift classrooms

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Youth-oriented activities such as the Gensan Summerfest were introduced last 2014 to empower the youth in the city through various sports competitions and development trainings.

Also, with the support of the local government to the young athletes of the city, Gensan took the championship title of SOCSKSARGEN Regional Athletic Association Meet last February 2015 by grand slam. 

LGU Gensan had allotted P3.4 Million for the training of these athletes. (Gensan CPIO/ Ian John Lagare)