Olongapo bags Child Friendly City award

as PGMA confers Presidential Award on Child Friendly Municipalities and Cities

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo conferred today the Presidential Award on Child Friendly Municipalities and Cities in recognition of the local government units’ (LGUs) sustained promotion of children’s rights to survival, development and protection at the local level.

This year’s national winners are the New Lucena, Iloilo (4th to 6th class municipality); San Mateo, Isabela (1st to 3rd class municipality); Vigan City (component city); Naga City (independent component city); and Olongapo City (highly urbanized city).

The conferment of the annual award is pursuant to Executive Order No. 184 as part of the Philippines’ commitment as signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on November 20, 1989.

The President awarded the trophy and P300,000 cash incentives to the mayors of the winning LGUs during a simple awarding ceremony at the Malacanang Heroes’ Hall.

The President also awarded Presidential citations and P300,000 cash incentives for the Child Health Conscious LGUs to New Lucena, Iloilo (4th to 6th class municipality; Tayabas, Quezon (1st to 3rd class municipality); Tagaytay City (component city); and Naga City (independent component city).

Assisting the President during the awarding rites were Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Austere Panadero, Social Welfare Undersecretary Alicia Bala, and Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) executive director Parisya Taradji.