Twenty-seven local government units (LGU) in the Bicol region were hailed as among the country’s most child-friendly places based on the results of the 2022 Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) released by the Department of the Interior and Local Government in Bicol (DILG-5) on Monday.

Of the 27 LGUs, nine are in the province of Sorsogon (Sorsogon City and the towns of Juban, Pilar, Barcelona, Castilla, Bulusan, Magallanes, Casiguran, and Irosin) and eight are in Albay (cities of Legazpi, Ligao, and Tabaco, and the towns of Polangui, Libon, and Sto. Domingo, Malilipot, and Daraga).

Five LGUs are in Camarines Sur — the cities of Iriga and Naga and the towns of Magarao, Tinambac, and Milaor; four in Masbate — Masbate City and the towns of Pio V. Corpuz, Esperanza and Milagros; and San Vicente, Camarines Norte.

Sorsogon City got the highest passing rate in the region, with 97 percent; followed by the municipality of Pio V. Corpuz in Masbate, 95.43 percent; Masbate City, 94.13 percent; Juban town in Sorsogon, 94 percent; and Polangui, 93.95 percent.

All CFLGA passers are eligible for the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) given by the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) Board.

In an interview on Tuesday, Daraga Mayor Carlywn Baldo thanked the DILG and CWC for the recognition, saying it is a privilege to be included in the highly coveted list.

“This milestone is made possible because of the combined efforts of our local departments in ensuring the protection, development, and well-being of our children. We vow to sustain the gains by implementing more policies, programs, and services that will cater to their needs,” he said.

Polangui Mayor Adrian Salceda, in a social media post, also hailed the town for maintaining ranking first in the province of Albay and fifth in the entire region.

As a results-based assessment instrument and an annual mandatory audit, the CFLGA assesses the performance of the LGUs in the delivery of social services and programs to promote the welfare and well-being of children.

For an LGU to pass the audit, it must obtain an overall passing rate of 80 percent along five indicators categorized under the core rights of children — survival, development, protection, participation, and governance.

In its 2022 audit, the CWC Board conferred 782 LGUs with the SCFLG, a stark increase from the 372 conferees in 2021. (PNA)