Young leaders join 2012 Mindanao Children’s Congress

DAVAO CITY, May 22 (PIA) – Child leaders from across the regions in Mindanao have come together in the city starting today until Thursday (May 24) in the 2012 Mindanao Children’s Congress that seeks to make a statement on health.

The World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. spearheads the three-day Congress at Ritz Hotel Garden Oases in Davao City, in line with its Child Health Now! advocacy campaign.

Crislyn Joy A. Felisilda, World Vision field communications specialist, said some 70 child leaders in Mindanao will “make their voices be heard” as they will tackle good health at the Congress.

The participants, aged 10 to 15 years old, come from the different program development areas of World Vision which are mostly the poorest areas in the island, Felisilda told the media during Monday’s Kapihan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao.

She said the future leaders of the country will “tackle issues on how children will enjoy good health, how they will be educated for life, experience love of God and their neighbors, are cared for, protected and participating.”

“We hear of early election fever and building new political alliances of our government leaders nowadays. Maybe it’s about time to hear the voices of our children as well,” she stated in a press release.

The 2012 Mindanao Children’s Congress banners the theme:  “Kabataan Pag-asa ng Bayan, Pagyamanin Sariling Kakayahan; Patungo sa Magandang Kinabukasan (Youth, You are Hope of the Nation, Develop your Talents Towards a Better Future).”Felisilda said they have invited some local officials in Davao City like the City Mayor, the Regional Director on Center for Health Development, the City Councilor on Health, and the DSWD Regional Director to hear the kids’ statement.

On the third day of the Congress on May 24, a press conference will be held on the same venue to present the Children’s Charter on Health “in light of our Child Health Now! advocacy campaign,” she bared.According to World Vision’s website at http://www.childhealthnow.worldvision.org.ph, the campaign “resonates the urgent call to end preventable deaths in children below five years old.”

It further stated that the Child Health Now! which is both a global and local advocacy campaign, responds to Millennium Development Goals (MDG) 4 and 5 aiming for the reduction of child mortality by two-thirds and maternal mortality by one-third.

Felisilda stated that Word Vision is a child-focused, relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, families, and communities worldwide to overcome poverty and injustice.

She said that the organization has been providing assistance to poor kids in elementary and high school from poor provinces in the country for 55 years.

Of the 90,000 sponsored children in the entire country, 24,000 come from Mindanao, she added.

World Vision continues to open education opportunities for children, sustainable livelihood for the parents, health programs, child protection, and youth employment in the Philippines, said Felisilda. (PIA-11/Carina L. Cayon)