CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — In a meaningful stride toward building resilient communities and safeguarding children’s welfare, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Provincial Government of Lanao del Sur, successfully held a three-day Workshop on Sustaining Child-Friendly Local Governance (CFLG) Initiatives from April 14 to 16, 2025, at the Country Village Hotel.
The workshop, a key component of the EU-UNICEF-PGLDS Project titled “Building Community Resilience and Delivery of Essential Services for Post-Conflict Recovery in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City”, specifically targeted Outcome 4: Local Governance. The initiative aims to help local government units (LGUs) integrate child-centered principles into their daily governance practices, ensuring that even in post-conflict settings, children’s rights and welfare remain a top priority.
Participants from various provincial offices — including the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, Health Office, Planning and Development Office, Youth Development Office, Information Office, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Lanao People’s Park and Public Library, and the Office of the Governor — joined forces with national and regional partners such as the Integrated Provincial Health Office, the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG), the Ministry of Social Services and Development (MSSD), the Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC), and the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE).
This multi-agency collaboration underscores a unified commitment to child welfare, especially in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where the scars of conflict continue to shape the lives of many young survivors. Beyond improving service delivery, the workshop promoted evidence-based planning, budgeting, and policy-making — a crucial step in ensuring that children and adolescents in post-conflict areas are not left behind in the region’s rebuilding efforts.
In regions like Bangsamoro, where the long shadow of conflict has affected access to education, healthcare, and social protection, child-friendly governance is not merely a local program — it is a vital safeguard for the future. Children in these communities face unique vulnerabilities, from displacement and disrupted schooling to trauma and limited access to essential services. Protecting their rights is a moral obligation and a foundation for lasting peace and development.
Efforts such as these serve as powerful reminders that the well-being of children must be at the heart of local governance. Investing in children means investing in the future stability and prosperity of the Bangsamoro region — a future where every child can thrive, regardless of the past.
As Lanao del Sur and Marawi City continue their journey of recovery, initiatives like the CFLG workshop strengthen the province’s resolve to build a safer, more inclusive society for its youngest citizens.
