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38 ALICIA, ISABELA
2nd Class Municipality, World-Class Program
Child Friendly Local Governance
IN the province of Isabela, Alicia is one of the few municipalities that
have earned the distinction of making priority investments in the welfare
of children. It has adopted and seriously implemented the Provincial
Children’s Code.
Child-Friendly Governance
A second-class municipality with a population of 26,000, Alicia had the
typical problems of child malnutrition, poor health and lack of medical
services, lack of day care facilities, poor educational facilities, prevalence
of school dropout, child abuse, and a general lack of awareness of the
public of children’s rights under the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of a Child (UNCRC).
In 1999, the municipal government sought to address these concerns
through a child-friendly local governance program. This was called the
Child-Friendly Movement. It employed a four-pronged strategy known
by its acronym BATA:
Broadening awareness and institutionalization of the UNCRC;
Allocation of fund support for children’s welfare and protection;
Total involvement and commitment through collective efforts of all
key players; and
Advancement of competitiveness through child-friendly governance.
The program aims primarily to create maximum awareness of the
UNCRC in all schools and barangays, particularly on the four specific rights
of children—the right to development, protection, survival and participation.
Feeding Centers for Body and Mind
Thirty-four barangay health centers and nutrition posts were improved
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