Valenzuela City Mayor WES Gatchalian delivers his first state of the children address in his administration during the City’s culminating activity of the National Children’s Month at Valenzuela City People’s Park Amphitheatre, November 26.

Mayor Gatchalian in his address remarked that his State of the Children Address was first in his administration and in the history of Valenzuela.

He mentioned that in Valenzuela City, the local government focus on the welfare of the families. “Inaalagaan natin ang bawat ‘Pamilyang Valenzuelano’. [We take care of every ‘Valenzuelano Family’.]  We implement programs that foster the well-being of each and every member and most especially the children.”

The City Mayor then enumerated the basic core rights that must be realized for every child – the rights to survival, development, protection, and participation.

“First step to child care ay alagaan din ang ating mga pregnant mothers. [First step to child care is also to take care of our pregnant mothers].” Mayor WES said. Valenzuela City has nine lying-in clinics with adequate equipment managed by 73 equipped midwives partner with Barangay Health workers. They provide support and training to pregnant mothers and the importance of pre-natal check-ups, breastfeeding, and good nutrition practices.

One of City’s best practices, the Supplementary Feeding Program aims to address the malnutrition of the children assessed as malnourished. Mayor WES then emphasized that this practice is probably the most expensive and costly intervention yet it is proven the most effective and widely implemented in the City.

Since its launching in 2014, Valenzuela City has reached some 67,716 children as beneficiaries.

During the pandemic, the City rolled out the VCVax Teens Edition on October 2020, while the VCVax Kids Edition began in February 2022. With these, the City attained about 59,000 of the teens population and 31,000 of the kids in Valenzuela City who received their second COVID-19 vaccine doses.

Mayor WES laid out his plans to make sure the health of the Valenzuelano students. In his administration he will launch two health vans for kids. The City will call it ‘Balik-Eskwela, Bantay Kalusugan sa Valenzuela’. These vans are scheduled to rounds each public schools in Valenzuela to conduct free check-ups and assess the healthcare of the students and also to provide vitamins to undernourished children.

Aside from the health vans, he also proposed the Developmental Program where Guidance Counsellors from each school will administer counselling to children who experience social issues like bullying, peer pressure, abuse, violence, and several others.

With the local government award-winning Education 360 Degrees Investment Program that aims to uplift the quality of education for every Valenzuelano, the City addresses all the children’s needs comprehensively with its student-centric approach: the free school supplies kits to public school students; give attention to illiteracy among the assessed as frustrated level readers and non-readers students through Reading Camp; promoting inclusivity continuously with the City’s Special Education Center, and second chance learning through Alternative Learning System.

Mayor WES also added his proposed program in the recent Education Summit, the Solo Parent and Lolo’t Lola Teaching Program or the ‘Nanay Teacher Plus’. This program will provide assistance and support to solo parents and grandparents who has students with academic and behavioural challenges. “We are still consolidating the program, but we will launch it on 2023.”

Valenzuela City has a strong commitment about the welfare and security of all the women and children and it was proven by building its Child Protection Center (CPC) in 2017. It was constructed through the partnership of the local government with Consuelo Alger Foundation through its program, the Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Network (CAPIN) in June 2014.

The Valenzuela City Child Protection Center is the first LGU-run of such center in the National Capital Region and third in the Philippines.  The CPC is currently manned by multi-disciplinary team of Social Workers, Doctor, Police Investigators, Psychometrician, among others, and has served about 4,000 clients since its establishment.

On November 24, The City Child Protection Center was hailed as the 2022 Most Valuable Partner of the Child Protection Network, Inc.  The award recognized the City’s effort in protecting Valenzuelano children from many faces of abuse.

Gatchalian committed to strengthen its City’s advocacy as the 1st Pathfinding City in the world to end the violence against the children by continuing this initiative which started in 2019, “Ipagpapatuloy ko po ang sinimulan ni Congresman REX na commitment to end the violence against children. Kaisa ang Lungsod ng Valenzuela, ako bilang Mayor at bilang Ama na wakasan na po ang karahasan laban sa mga bata.[ I will continue the commitment started by Congressman REX to end the violence against children. Together with the City of Valenzuela, I as the Mayor and as a Father to put an end to violence against children.]”

Mayor WES pledged to carry out more projects for the welfare of Valenzuelano children and concluded his address with a quotation, “Ako, ang Sangguniang Panglungsod, at ang buong Lokal na Pamahalaan ay patuloy na mag-iisip at magsusulong ng mga makabuluhang programa para sa kapakanan ninyong mga batang Valenzuelano. Maraming salamat po. Mabuhay ang mga batang Valenzuelano! Bilang pangwakas, I want to share this quotation na gusto kong matandaan ninyong mga bata, ‘Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality’. [I, the City Council, and the entire Local Government will continue to think and promote meaningful programs for the welfare of you Valenzuela children. Thank you very much. Long live the Valenzuela children!]”

Also gracing the event were Vice Mayor Lorie Natividad-Borja, Councilors Niña Lopez, Gerald Galang, Louie Nolasco, Chris Feliciano–Tan, Marlon Alejandrino, Chiqui Carreon, Sel Sabino-Sy, Mickey Pineda, Liga ng mga Barangay President, Jonjon Bartolome, Dra. Katherine Martinez, representing Congressman Eric Martinez, and City Social Welfare and Development Office Head, Ms. Dorothy Evangelista, Valenzuela City Schools Division Superintendent, Dr. Meliton Zuebano, City Health Officer, Dr. Ato Basco, and Mayoress Tiffany Gatchalian and children, Liam and Tara.

The State of the Children Address together with the Parada ng Pangarap were part of the National Children’s Month celebration of the City where big parade of children’s dreams were showcased through a costume of their dream careers.
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