LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—The first North Luzon Legislative Summit on Children which brings together vice governors, vice mayors, provincial board members, councilors will be held at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center here today until July 6.

With a theme “Empowering Children, Assuring the Future”, Vice Governor Oscar Lambino of this province said that this is in partnership with the United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Lambino, secretary-general of the Vice Governors’ League of the Philippines (VGLP), said the series of legislative summits on children aim to convince local stakeholders of the important role of children in nation-building and to open their minds to the different opportunities and challenges besetting them.

It is envisioned that the activities will encourage open discussions on the state of children in the different provinces as well as to determine their order of priority in the development plan of local government unit.

Lambino said the discussions/workshops during the summit will facilitate a dynamic and grassroots based assessment on the actual figures/data that will indicate whether children’s causes/concerns had been properly addressed by the community or the local government.

He added that it will also help determine the areas that need to be improved to forge ahead in the child-friendly movement.

During the summit, there will be a proper assessment of the state of children in north Luzon. It is also expected that a timetable for the completion/refinement of the three gifts for children, namely: the Local Code for Children, Investment Code for Children and the Local Development Plan for Children will be made. These will also serve as work plan that an LGU will pursue to become child-friendly.

Guests of honor during the summit will be Dr. Nicholas Alipui, country representative of UNICEF, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera, national president of VGLP and Vice Mayor Jessie Cruz, national president of the Vice Mayors’ League of the
Philippines.

The Luzon summit is the second major island conference after the successful holding of the first Visayas Legislative Summit on Children on Nov. 7-9, 2005 in Tagbilaran, Bohol.

The third major conference will be held in the province of Saranggani on August 9 to 10, 2006.