TO STRENGTHEN the image of Davao City as a child-friendly city, the City Social Services Development Office (CSSDO) plans to hold several activities for youth empowerment.
CSSDO head Maria Luisa T. Bermudo, in an interview last Wednesday, May 9, said that they plan to use the money won by the city during the search for the Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities Award for Highly Urbanized City for its upcoming projects.
Davao City won P500,000 last year for the award, P700,000 for having won the award six times and being a hall of famer and P50,000 for being the most child-friendly city in the region.
Bermudo said that they will disseminate the money to different committees for the children and the youth - committee on survival, committee on participation, committee on development, and committee on protection.
"We will also have the search for the most child-friendly barangay in the city in November. This is to help the youth and for us to have their active participation in the community," she added.
Community-based information management system and strengthening of Gulayan sa Barangay Program are also among the identified projects.
She also cited that the money will also be used for the conduct of Children's Congress annually done through collaboration of CWC and various partner non-government and government agencies.
She also said that they will urge the upcoming Sagguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to collaborate with their office on implementing programs for children especially for the out-of-school youth.
CSSDO will also strengthen the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) for their continued enhancement especially after election.
Bermudo said the activities and programs for the search for the most child-friendly barangay in the city will be finalized sometime in September. (Brisbane Q. Titular, Father Saturnino Urios University Intern)