CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government – Region 10 awarded last Oct. 16 the ideal local government units which have shown outstanding performance on program implementation relating to peace and order (POC), protection of children and anti-trafficking and violence against women and children (VAWC).

Department of the Interior and Local Government – Region 10 Director Wilhelm M. Suyko welcomed the awardees for the POC, Local Committees on Anti-Trafficking and VAWC (LCAT-VAWC), and Local Committee on the Protection of Children Recognition of Exemplars and hailed them in maintaining peace and order and empowering rights of women and children in their respective area of responsibilities.

“Festival of Local Excellence is a celebration that highlights local government units’ successful implementation of their functions and invaluable contribution towards nation building. So, this month, we have [also] lined up so many activities with different departments to celebrate the local government code month,” the DILG-10 chief said.

In the category of LCAT-VAWC, all awardees garnered Ideal as the assessment of their functionality. These are the provinces of Camiguin with 103%, Misamis Occidental with 99%, Misamis Oriental with 95.5%, Bukidnon with 94.5% and province of Lanao del Norte with 84.3%.

Moreover, in the area of implementing local programs for the protection of children, awardees are the provinces of Camiguin and Misamis Occidental, both gained Ideal functionality at 97.71% and 81.87%, respectively.

The DILG-X also awarded local government units who have an effective peace and order council. These are the provinces of Camiguin, Misamis Occidental, and Misamis Oriental all with 100% rating, Bukidnon with 98.79%, Lanao del Norte with 98.71%, Cagayan de Oro City with 98.25%, and Iligan City with 92.83% rating. Criteria for the rating are organization, meetings, policies, programs and budget and accomplishments.

In a details provided by Ms. Lorelei Salud-Cagas of Misamis Occidental Provincial Gender and Development Office, Misamis Occidental is performing having their developed LCAT-VAWC annual work and financial plans that reflect programs addressing traffick-in-persons and violence against women and children. This WFP is as well integrated in their annual investment program. They also assured an existing LCAT-VAWC formulated policy to protect trafficked persons and VAWC victim-survivors.

Misamis Occidental is also accomplished in terms of maintaining and updating database on TIP and VAWC cases, as well information, education and advocacy campaigns discussing this matter, among others.

The Festival of Excellence at Chali Beach Resort was actively attended by the members of LCAT-VAWC Regional Interagency Monitoring Team, LCPC Regional Interagency Monitoring Task Force and POC Performance Audit Regional Assessment Team.

Regional Director Suyko mentioned to the LGU representatives some important October affairs such as the World Food Day.

Highlighting the importance of food and water to humankind, Suyko said that the World Food Day was celebrated among different local government units on that day.

“The theme for World Food Day is "Water is food, food is life, nobody should be left behind." Incidentally and ironically, there is a war in the Middle East and many people are deprived of water and food. Water and food have no color or religion,” he said. Suyko urged everybody witnessing the October 16 event to continuously pray for the immediate settlement of the on-going war in the Middle East.

Further, Suyko shared that Local Government Units Day and Local Government Code month celebrations are also in this month of October. Hence, he urges the LGUs to designate their little mayors, vice mayors, and officials to the youth to expose them on how to implement programs, plans and projects in the local government.

The Festival of Excellence is being held by the DILG to mainly acknowledge the performance of local government units and also to continuously advocate the rights of women and children through programs and projects that help them thrive to their fullest potential. (PIA-10/IJBD)