Davao City—The City Government of Davao has formally opened an additional child-minding center in Barangay Mintal, in ceremonies led by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte on Tuesday.
The child-minding center in Mintal is the fourth of its kind in Davao City. The other centers are located in Calinan, Barangay 27-C, and 2-A.
City Social Services and Development Office head Maria Luisa Bermudo said the Mintal Child-Minding Center aims to help working parents in the area ensure they have a safe place to leave their child while they are at their workplaces.
“One of the problems that we have seen, especially for our working mothers is their difficulty to take care of their children while they are at their workplace. With the child-minding center, they have trusted people who will watch over their kids,” Bermudo said.
Two teachers employed by the city government will be assigned at the center, which can cater up to 10 toddlers of ages up to 3 years old per day, she added.
The center is open from 7:30 am up to 5 pm.
Mintal barangay captain Rey Amador Bargamento said the center would be of great help to their barangay, especially that its population continues to grow.
“We really need this center because we have a lot of residents who are working mothers. They don’t have someone whom they can leave their children while they are earning a living,” he said.
Mayor Duterte revealed the city is ready to allot funds for other barangays that intend to build their own child-minding facilities.
“If a barangay is planning to have a center of this kind, especially those big barangays that are centers of economic activity, we can partner with them through the CSSDO. They can put up the infrastructure and we can hire the personnel needed to run the child-minding center,” she said.
The mayor also donated some toys owned by her eldest daughter, Sharkie, so these can be used by the children in the center.