DILG Setup Local Child Protection Councils in 24,000 Barangays

September 6, 2009

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has helped set up Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPCs)  in a total of 24,093 barangays,  54 provinces, 101 cities and 963 municipalities nationwide as of the first semester of 2009, in step with its heightened campaign to uphold the welfare and rights of Filipino minors.

setting up and strengthening these Councils and make them effective instruments in promoting children’s rights and implementing child-friendly programs.

Article 87 of Presidential Decree No. 603 of the Child and Youth Welfare Code as well as Section 15 of Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 both provide for the establishment  and strengthening of the LCPCs, down to the barangay level.

The DILG, on Puno’s watch, has issued guidelines to monitor the functionality of LCPCs in all local government units nationwide.

“We have set up the local councils in 24,093 barangays,  in 54 provinces, in  101 cities and in 963 municipalities as of June this year to help make our LGUs child-friendly localities,” said Puno during the Liga ng mga Barangay Congress held recently in Surigao City.

Besides facilitating the establishment of LCPCs, the DILG has also called on local chief executives to support the DILG’s training initiatives on the barangay human rights program, which seeks to empower vulnerable sectors like women and children in pursuing justice through heightened awareness about their basic rights and the country’s judicial system.

The DILG, on Puno’s watch, likewise ordered the establishment of Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPDs) in every Philippine National Police (PNP)  municipal station in the country to help victims of exploitation and abuse, particularly children and women,  seek help from authorities.

There are now 1,830 WCPDs in police stations nationwide.
In a recent memorandum circular, Puno said that the DILG’s  training on human rights  also aims to enhance the proficiency of barangay officials, particularly the member of the Lupon Tagapamayapa, “in performing their mandated tasks and responsibilities towards good local governance.”

The training on human rights at the barangay level, Puno noted,  is being conducted to ensure the smooth implementation of the Department’s Local Government Human Rights Program,  which is designed to ensure the accountability of local authorities in the protection and promotion of human rights in their respective localities.

The Local Government Human Rights Program is a flagship initiative of the DILG on Puno’s watch.

Puno said teams of DILG trainers have been organized in all capital towns and cities in every region to spearhead the training, which will be conducted in partnership with other stakeholders in the locality.

Puno, who is concurrent chairman of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), said that besides setting up a WCPD in every town, the PNP, on his orders, will also establish a Women and Children Protection Center in every region in the country as well as counterpart centers at the provincial and city levels.

These centers and WCPDs will be headed by, and staffed with, female police officers, Puno said, to provide women and children a more comfortable and relaxed setting when seeking assistance from the police.

Unlike a typical police station, these women- and children-friendly centers will have a more relaxed, “home-like” ambiance, brightly colored walls and even temporary shelters for distraught women and kids.

These Centers and WCPDs are tasked  handle cases of violence and abuse committed against women and children, including trafficking and exploitation as defined under Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act of 2004.

Puno said the establishment of these Centers is not only in accordance with RA 9262, but also demonstrates the importance that the DILG and PNP have placed on family-related concerns and these institutions’ responsiveness to gender-sensitivity issues.