SoCot still top implementer of child protection programs in Region 12

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--For five consecutive years, South Cotabato's Provincial Council for the Protection of Children (PCPC) has been named the most productive in Region 12 or Soccsksargen.

Provincial board member Ester Marin-Catorce, PCPC action officer, said Wednesday the council topped anew the annual regional search for the most "functional" local child protection council after posting an accomplishment rating of 103.44 percent.

She said South Cotabato's PCPC bested the region's three other provinces in all areas of assessment, specifically in terms of organization; mandatory meetings conducted; policies, plans and budget; accomplishments; and policies approved by the provincial board or Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

The Regional Inter-Agency Task Force headed by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 12 assessed the PCPC's functionality level as "ideal" based on its evaluation conducted last month, she said.

Catorce credited the "five-year winning streak" to the active participation of their members in the rollout of programs and activities that promote the rights and welfare of children within the province's 10 towns and lone city.

She said the provincial government sustained its support to the council in terms of funding and policy implementation.

"We have not encountered any problem when it comes to the cooperation of our government and non-government partners," she said.

The official said the expansion of the council's membership, conduct of additional meetings on top of the quarterly mandatory meetings, as well as the assistance provided to the city and municipal children councils gave them a bigger edge in this year's search.

She said they added six new members this year in compliance with Executive Order 14 series of 2017 issued by South Cotabato Governor Daisy Avance-Fuentes.

This includes representatives from the children sector, indigenous peoples and Muslim communities, she said.

For the rest of the year, Catorce said they will start the monitoring of the province's compliance to the provisions of the 2015 South Cotabato Children's Welfare Code.

"We will start with the prohibition of children from participating in benefit dances and the promotion of corporal punishment for them," she added. (PNA)