Family month activities scheduled
After two years of restricted gatherings, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) spearheads the celebration of September as Family month with a simple launching ceremony, civil mass wedding, family tours to interesting venues, games, bonding and fun days for families.
Children with Down syndrome are not left out, with a special day of learning and guided city tour to newly-refurbished Baguio Tourist spots; Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO) head Samuel Aquino said.
This was discussed during the family month steering committee meeting last Friday, Aug. 12 at the Sr. Citizen building, where the activities were looked over with Social Worker Ellen Dayag referring to the past family week celebrations.
The launching ceremonies shall be on Sept. 5 during the city hall flag raising ceremonies, with tarpaulins to announce the activities. As per request and with approval from the CSWDO, families in support of the activities may have a tarpaulin featuring a family photo hung outside their homes for the whole month of September.
Taking cue from a recent scouting guided outing with Scout leader Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda; an educational tour and family fun day was suggested to take place at the Baguio Botanical Garden. As an open-environment activity, selected families are suggested to go through the various plants’ names and uses, and the historical value of each area, with fun games for family bonding throughout the day.
Other suggested community-based activities are family tree planting, barangay potluck and clean-up for environmental interaction or community service, to be done in available venues, in coordination with the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) and other concerned offices.
As a culminating activity on Sept. 28, Mayor Benjamin Magalong officiates the civil mass wedding with the venue to be announced depending on the number of couples to be married. Applicants are encouraged to submit requirements on or before Sept. 5 at the City Social Welfare and Development Office, Upper Session Road.
The selection of an exemplary family urban garden; a lecture for laws on civil registration in coordination with the Local Civil Registry (LCR) office; marriage enrichment counseling; and a family Zumba date in coordination with the office of Councilor Farinas are also slated.
The family month steering committee has representatives from the CSWDO, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-CAR), Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), Office of Senior Citizens Affairs (OSCA), Health Services Office, Federation of Senior Citizens, Persons with Disability Affairs Office (PDAO), Barangay council and Punong Barangays.
Councilor Elmer Datuin who heads the Social Services, Women and Urban Poor council committee, Health and Sanitation, Ecology and Environmental Protection council committee chair Betty Lourdes Tabanda and Lilia Farinas, committee chair on Tourism Special Events, Parks and Playgrounds were present during the meeting.
The celebration of Family month is anchored on presidential proclamations declaring every last week of September as national family week, and the fourth Sunday as family thanksgiving day. Another proclamation declares September’s fourth Monday as Salu-salo ng Pamilya, Mahalaga Day. – JGFianza
