By Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The Local Council for the
Protection of Children (LCPC) in Isabela City sought to create and
institutionalize programs that hope to bring significant impact to the
communities.
Every year, the Regional Inter-Agency Monitoring Task Force
(RITMF) in region 9 conducts monitoring on the functionality of the City
Council for the Protection of Children, one of the local special bodies
mandating the local government units to sustain the local protection program
for children and youth.
At the assessment meeting, key government agencies in the city,
like the City Health Office, the Department of Education-Isabela City Schools
Division, the City Police Station, and the Department of Labor, among others
have presented their respective programs and activities related to the
protection of children.
Dr. Rafael Cabug, city health officer, reported some of the
accomplishments of the health office to include some cases of children who were
reported to have contracted tuberculosis. He said these children are already
receiving utmost medical attention from the city government. Included in his
report were the government’s continuous monitoring of children’s nutrition and
health status based on weight. He revealed that barangays Marketsite, Kaumpunah
Zones 1-2-3, Tabuk, Tampalan, Lumbang, Sumagdang, Carbon, and Maligue remain in
the list of top 10 barangays with high incidence of underweight children.
Dr. Cabug also revealed that the city was awarded as one of the
top ten (ninth place) nationwide in terms of measles rubella immunization
campaign accomplishment. Among the best practices that made the campaign
successful was the coordination of the city health personnel with the military,
police, and barangays in reaching out to the children at the remotest areas of
the city.
The city health is also implementing its newest program, the
Adolescence Youth Reproductive Health with the support of some of its partner-agencies
and non-government organizations.
DepEd-Isabela, on the other hand, reported that it is
implementing the Abot-Alam Program that aims to provide education for all
children and that it also is strengthening its Alternative Learning System.
The division office in coordination with the health department
is also monitoring the nutrition and health status of school children through
immunization and medical-dental outreach programs.
The city police station, meanwhile, conducted a number of
information and education campaigns to some communities and schools in the
city, and has utilized a lot its radio program over the local DXNO-FM radio
station to promote children’s rights and welfare.
DOLE-Isabela reported that it had conducted child laborers
profiling of parents and provided some livelihood support to these parents.
The RITMF team hailed the efforts exerted by the different
government agencies in implementing programs for the protection of children. However,
it observed that the activities are all agency-initiated and they are looking
forward to a LCPC-led and funded programs and activities for 2015.
The RITMF team has urged the LCPC in this city to initiate
programs and activities that are LCPC-led with clear budget allocation and being
carried out with partner-agencies and organizations.