DAVAO CITY—For the second time in two years, this city received the presidential award for the most child-friendly city, besting four other cities in the highly urbanized category that included Pasig, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod and Puerto Princesa.
Maria Luisa Bermudo, head of the Davao City Social Services and Development Office, attributed the city’s win to various projects for children that the city had pioneered in recent years.
Among these are House of Hope that houses children cancer patients, a child-minding center for employees and residential facilities for abused children, children in conflict with the law and even the mentally challenged.
Bermudo said the award was the newest feather in the city’s cap after being named among the world’s safest cities by crowd-sourcing website Numbeo.com.
The 2014 most child-friendly city award was conferred on the city on May 7 at the Philippine International Convention Center.
Bermudo said the city also won the same award in 1998, 1999 and 2013.
Aside from its facilities catering to children, Davao City also posted excellent indicators in education, health, local governance and peace and order, contributing to the well-being of children. The city has also partnered with different groups, government agencies and nongovernment organizations to provide much-needed services to children.
Tough-talking Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who initiated House of Hope, has been known to spend time with cancer patients on Christmas and special holidays. Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao