By VENUS MAY H. SARMIENTO

A TOWN and a city in Pangasinan will receive the Presidential Award for the Child-Friendly Municipality and City for their exemplary performance in programs and services for children in Region I.

The municipality of Bani won in the Category of 1st and 3rd class municipalities while Urdaneta City placed third in the Component City category.

Bani has comprehensive programs for children including a Child Protection Unit that serves 24 hours, using “a multi-disciplinary approach and networking in providing medico-legal and psycho social services to abused children and families to prevent further abuse.”

The town’s Child Protection Project established a community based mechanism towards the reduction and prevention of the incidence of child abuse. It also facilitated the management and disclosure of child sexual and physical abuse and their protection. The CPP also protected the victims and their families while facilitating recovery and re-integration of victims to their families and communities

Bani also boasts of its Best Practice in child participation in local governance and community development with its organized Child Facilitators and Barangay Children Association.

It is also the only LGU in Region I implementing Supervised Neighborhood Play (SNP) which is a home-based service catering to children ages 0-6 years old in remote barangays.

The other regional winners are Vigan City, Ilocos Sur for the Component City category and Suyo, Ilocos Sur in the category of 4th-6th class municipalities.

The Council for the Welfare of Children and the Regional Committee for the Welfare of Children chaired by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office I will award the Child Friendly Seal and P50,000.00 cash prize to the regional winners on Wednesday, January 30.