San Francisco partners with kids

CEBU, Philippines - The municipal government of San Francisco in Camotes Island, Cebu has declared children as its partner in sustainable development.

All school-age children must be in school regardless of their economic status while the "out-of-school youth" is no longer an issue in the municipality because of the adoption of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) of the Department of Education.

The Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) are now fully integrated in the school curriculum and outreach programs.

"Thru the extra-curricular activities of the schools, students are engaged in how year round activities like tree planting, coastal clean-up and other related activities related to the advocacy of DRR and CCA," the LGU said in a statement.  

The children will share their platform and experiences in DRR at their school and communities because they are provided with the avenue to speak, to participate and to engage.

"Children and those who think they are vulnerable, please speak out and that is the beginning to shift your vulnerabilities to resilience. Learn to influence your own friends, walk the talk and enjoy the spirits of actions and power of the children and youth sector."

Believing their capacity, the LGU has assured to work with them closely as partners of development of resilience.

After years of practices, children in San Francisco have their love month, a date with mother earth every February, creative festivities during April for the earth day, forum during the October DRR day.

"Simple tree growing and visits of the thousands of trees they planted and grown made the difference," it further said.

A small municipality in Cebu, San Francisco, under the leadership of Mayor Alfredo Arquillano, has won the United Nations Sasakawa Award for 2011 for actions to reduce the damaging effects of climate change in their communities.

The municipality has developed a system where it is "a community-driven, bottoms-up approach type of governance" that sees the importance of every family in achieving this development without sacrificing the environment and the next generation.

It has Community Based Information System (CBMIS) which provided exact figures on who are the most marginal sectors in the small community in the villages.

This was done by the trained community people itself which consists mainly of mothers and out of school youths. (FREEMAN)