Tabuk City, Kalinga – Kalinga has once again demonstrated its commitment to protecting the welfare of children after becoming one of the top-performing local government units in the Cordillera, earning a perfect 100-percent passing rate in both the 2026 Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) and the Local Councils for the Protection of Children (LCPC) Functionality Assessment.
According to Department of the Interior and Local Government-Cordillera (DILG-CAR) Division Chief Mary Jane Abance, as reported by the Philippine Information Agency-Cordillera, Kalinga was among the provinces that achieved perfect marks in both assessments.
The results were presented during the Second Quarter Joint Inter-Agency Committee Meeting on June 24 and were later released to the public by PIA-CAR on July 2.
Recognized for child-centered governance
The Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA) evaluates whether local government units implement programs, services, and policies that create safe, healthy, and nurturing communities for children.
Meanwhile, the LCPC Functionality Assessment measures the effectiveness of Local Councils for the Protection of Children in promoting and safeguarding children's rights and welfare. Councils are rated as Ideal, Mature, or Progressive based on their overall performance.
Kalinga was one of only three areas in the Cordillera, together with Apayao and Baguio City, to register a 100-percent passing rate in the 2026 CFLGA.
The province also achieved 100-percent Ideal ratings in the LCPC Functionality Assessment, placing it among the region's highest-performing local government units in child-centered governance.
Across the Cordillera, 61 of the region's 77 local government units passed the CFLGA, resulting in an overall regional passing rate of 79.22 percent.
Abra recorded an 85.19-percent passing rate, with 23 of its 27 LGUs passing the audit. Benguet registered 9 passers out of 13 municipalities, Ifugao had 7 out of 11, while Mountain Province recorded 6 passers out of 10 municipalities.
In the LCPC Functionality Assessment, Kalinga, Apayao, and Ifugao posted 100-percent Ideal ratings for all their local government units. Baguio City also received an Ideal rating with a score of 88.91 percent. In Abra, 20 LGUs were rated Ideal, seven were classified as Mature, and one as Progressive, while Benguet and Mountain Province had most of their municipalities rated Ideal, with their provincial LGUs receiving Mature ratings.
Abance said the results reflect the commitment of many local government units to protecting children's welfare, although some areas still require additional support to meet national standards. She added that the DILG-CAR will continue conducting assessments, capacity-building activities, and monitoring to further strengthen child protection programs across the region.
For Kalinga, the recognition underscores the province's continuing efforts to build communities where children are protected, supported, and given opportunities to thrive. Beyond infrastructure, economic development, and tourism, the achievement affirms that investing in the rights, welfare, and future of every iKalinga child remains a cornerstone of the province's governance.
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