WHILE waiting whether or not Davao City won for the most child friendly city all over the Philippines, the Davao City Social Services and Development Office together with non-government organizations are validating the 182 barangays of the city for the Most Child Friendly Barangay.
“This is to sustain what we have done for the most child friendly award from the city level down to the barangay level,” CSSDO Head Maria Luisa Bermudo in an interview last week said.
She added that each of the 182 barangay will be assessed equally without exemptions. And this validation started last October.
“[The purpose of this award] is also to check what are the areas that need to strengthen and also to find out the best practices that they can share,” Bermudo added.
Bermudo said they intended to have the awarding by November but since they have many events this month the awarding may be done by December.
She said aside from CSSDO, the private sector, non-government organizations are also involved in the validation to sustain the gains of child friendly initiatives of the city.
The winning barangay will have a Mayor’s Trophy and a cash prize.
Meanwhile, Bermudo said she is very optimistic that the city will bag again this time the Most Child Friendly Award, which is assessed by the national government.
“I am positive because we have really what it takes to get the hall of fame. We did our best for our programs. We are always in the forefront our initiatives and our best practices for our children. Although we encounter issues and problems, the fact is we face them, and we created programs through our partnership with the local government organizations,” she said.
Meanwhile, Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio said she is happy with the nomination of the city for the most child friendly city award.
“These kinds of awards and nominations are basis that the city government is doing correctly and I am happy that the city is once again nominated as most child friendly all over the Philippines,” Duterte-Carpio said.
She added that having child friendly projects and programs are important to protect children as they are the future of our country.
“It is important for us to invest in our children,” she said.
The city won the award in 1998, 1999, 2013, 2014, 2015.
This year, the city is faced with equally formidable contenders for the Most Child-Friendly Award — Iloilo, Baguio, and Paranaque. (KVC)