Zamboanga City — The Regional Awards Committee (RAC) recently awarded the winners of the 2008 Presidential Award for the Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities. The Municipality of Labason, Zamboanga del Norte was awarded as the winner for the 1st - 3rd class Category, Vincenzo Sagun for the 3rd - 4th Class Category and Zamboanga City for the Highly Urbanized City (HUC) Category.

The search is an annual activity initiated by the Council for the Welfare Children (CWC) as a mechanism to institutionalize the Child - Friendly Movement (CFM). It is conferred to deserving Local Government Units in recognition of their vital role in promoting children’s rights to survival, development, protection and participation as well as in ensuring child-friendly governance.

For 2008, a total of six (6) LGUs vied for the award. Other entries for the 4th - 6th Class Category include the Municipality of Dumalinao and Midsalip, Zamboanga del Sur and Diplahan, Zamboanga Sibugay. Labason and Zamboanga City were lone entries for their specific category.

The above - stated winners displayed exemplary performance along Planning and Policy Formulation, Resource Utilization, Service Delivery, Institution Building/Capacity Building, Child Participation and Community Participation which is being validated at the municipal level. Validations of municipal initiatives were done through evaluation of Day Care Centers, Barangay Health Stations, Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC), Barangay Reading and Information Center as well as Community and Child Participation in the barangays. The municipal score represents 70% of the total score while the remaining 30% is obtained at the barangay level.

The winners shall be awarded with a regional seal for being the Outstanding Regional Winner plus P50,000 courtesy of the Council for the Welfare of Children at the Regional Development Council (RDC) Conference.

Considering that Labason and Vincenzo Sagun are third - time regional winners, they will also be awarded with another regional seal as CFM Learning Communities in Region IX.

The regional winners has been endorsed to the Council for the Welfare of Children as entries to the National Awards. The National Awarding is scheduled on December 2008 at Heroes Hall, Malacanang Palace. (DSWD/PIA ZC)