Cebu City Celebrates Children’s Month

Bearing the theme, “Komunidad at Pamahalaan Magkaisa, Pang-aabuso sa Bata, Wakasan!,” the city government here headed by Mayor Michael Lopez Rama through the City’s Commission for the Welfare and Protection of Children or CCWPC is observing the Children’s month celebration in the entire month of November this year.

At least thousands of children from the 80 Barangays comprising this city joined in the Opening Salvo of the Children’s Month celebration organized by the CCWPC last November 7 Saturday. A parade of all children from Plaza Sugbo to the Children’s Park in the Plaza Independencia kicked off the event.

Amid his busy schedule, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama found time in gracing the event. In his message he reminded the children to respect their parents observing good manners and right conduct and the parents as well to be responsible in taking good care of their children.

Meanwhile, the Opening Salvo was highlighted by at least three competitions showcasing the skills and talents of the Cebuano children. It included the Your Face Sounds Familiar, Flower Arrangement and Sandwich Making contests.

Participants from Barangay Buot bagged the first place in the Your Face Sounds Familiar contest, followed by participants from Barangay’s Luz and Pahina San Nicolas in the second and third places, respectively.

In the Flower Arrangement contest the winners were Barangay’s Tejero, Luz and Tisa for the first, second and third places. While in the Sandwich Marking contest children from Barangay Sinsin emerged victorious followed by the participants from Barangay’s Luz and Buot in that order. All winners in all categories went home with cash prizes.

In an interview with the BARUGG News, CCWPC executive director Engr. Ma. Suzanne Ardosa shared that the celebration of the Children’s Month is moved from the month of October to the month of November starting this year with a new law.

Earlier this year, the Republic Act 10661 declaring the month of November as the National Children’s Month was signed by president Benigno Simeon Aquino III. It changed the Children’s month celebration from October to November to commemorate the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child or CRC by the United Nations General Assembly on November 20, 1989 and the signing of the CRC in the Philippines. The new law seeks to instill the significance of the adoption of the CRC by the United Nation in the Filipino consciousness.

For the uninformed, the Council for the Welfare of Children or CWC conferred a 2014 Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance or CFLG to the City of Cebu as one of the most child-friendly local government units in the country in the promotion of child rights.

Ardosa further shared that there will be activities in the barangay level in observance with the Children’s Month, adding that the celebration will be culminated with the annual Children’s Summit.

The summit, a convention of child representatives in the barangay, academe, and non-government-organization, among others will culminate the month-long celebration on November 20-21 this year at the Crown Regency Residences and Hotel in Barangay Guadalupe this city. The summit will highlight important topics which affects the child as a whole.

Furthermore, all lined-up activities aim to promote positive attitude of the child, enrich the forgotten Filipino values and tradition, enliven awareness of sociopolitical issues in a positive manner, create a child community with a heart of responsible citizen and imbibe a God-fearing attitude towards life challenges. (Cebu City Public Information Office PIO/Greggy Jiggs P. Senados)