BONTOC, Mountain Province – This municipality has initiated a first-of-its-kind activity to celebrate the 29th National Children’s Month (NCM) this November amid the pandemic.
The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) in collaboration with the Municipal Health Office (MHO) will spearhead the Search for the Healthiest Day Care Children.
Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer Araceli Shane Bayanos said all day care centers/early child care development centers are encouraged to participate and select one child to represent their respective day care centers.
The Healthiest Day Care Child will receive P5,000; and P4,000; P3,000; 2,000, and P1,000 will be given to second, third, fourth and fifth places, respectively.
A consolation of P500 will be given to each participating day care child who did not make it to the top 5.
A cash prize of P1,000 each will also be given to the child development workers (CDWs) with participating day care child who made it to the top 5.
Criteria in the selection of Healthiest Day Care Children include on-hand and updated mother and child book or under-five card (15 percent), delivered with normal birth weight (five percent), delivered either at the hospital, barangay health station, or home with the assistance of a skilled birth attendant (five percent), fully immunized child and adherence to schedule immunization (15 percent), the child has not been hospitalized for any sickness (10 percent), with normal weight and height according to age (15 percent), child’s interaction to the evaluators (10 percent), personal appearance (10 percent), and at least exclusively breastfed from birth to six months with certification from the midwife (15 percent).
Bayanos said evaluators together with MSWDO and MHO personnel have been going around the barangays to evaluate the participating children.
She added in compliance with health protocols, the number of participants present during the assessment will be limited to the evaluators, personnel from MSWDO and MHO through the Municipal Nutrition Action Officer, one nurse and respective midwife of the barangay; the day care child and parent, and the respective CDWs.
By virtue of Republic Act 10661, the National Children’s Month is an annual celebration that commemorates the signing of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the United Nations General Assembly on Nov. 20, 1989.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “New normal na walang iwanan: Karapatan ng bawat bata ating tutukan” or “No one is left behind under the new normal: Focus on children’s rights.”
It aims to strengthen the call for public awareness and support in protecting and promoting the rights of children. – Alpine L. Killa
