NABUNTURAN, COMPOSTELA VALLEY — The executive and legislative branches of the provincial government of Compostela Valley will work together to come up with a Local Development Code for Children.
Sangguniang Panlalawigan board member Maricar Zamora-Apsay, chairperson of the Committee on Women, Children and Family told members of the Regional Inter-agency Monitoring Task Force (RIMTF) that concerned offices and individuals will sit together in a workshop in early May to create the code.
She conveyed the sincere desire of the provincial government to come up with the Children’s Code but she said the local government would not want it done half-baked and sacrifice children’s welfare.
“Dili mi gusto magdali-dali ug isakrispisyo ang mga kabataan. (We don’t want to rush this and sacrifice the children’s welfare.),” she said in an audience with the RIMTF members when they conducted an assessment of the performance of the Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC).
A children’s code puts together policies that a local government wants to implement to advance the four broad children rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
Apsay said that her colleague board member Ruwell Peter Gonzaga had already submitted a proposal for a Local Children’s Code as early as February of this year.
A press release from the Provincial Information Section revealed that Provincial Governor Arturo Uy also directed the technical working group to formulate the Local Children’s Code designated Apsay as chair to unite efforts to come up with the policy.
Apsay said the Sanggunian Panlalawigan agreed with the governor and found it a better move to count in all agencies and individuals who know more about advancing the rights of children rather than having the SP tackle the concern on its own.(PIA XI)
