More than 28,000 children across the city were served by Child Development Centers under the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Program of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for the school year 2025–2026.
Josephine Bangkil, ECCD Technical Staff of the Child and Youth Welfare Program Division, explained that the development centers help children overcome separation anxiety and learn to interact with peers, recognize numbers and colors, and practice proper values.
“Very important kaayo ang kalambigitan kung ang usa ka bata nga nag edad 0 to 4 years old, nga ipa enroll sa atoang daycare center tungod kay kini ang preparatory school, i-prepare sa ila sa school. Kung atoa mn gud nato sila i-diretso sa kinder, lahi napod didtoa ang curriculum na gamiton. Whereas kung muagi sila og preschool, gi andam ang usa ka bata para maka kat’on siya (It is very important for a child aged 0 to 4 years old to be enrolled in our daycare center because it is a preparatory school that prepares them for school. If we directly enroll them in kindergarten, the curriculum used there will be different. Whereas if they go through preschool, the child is prepared to learn),“ she told Madayaw Davao over Davao City Disaster Radio on March 16, 2026.
Cayamombao Macadatar, ECCD Technical Staff, also added that the program continues to offer holistic development for children, emphasizing socio-emotional development, values formation, and fundamental learning skills so that they become more confident and independent by the time they move to higher year levels.
“Atung mga kabatan’onan within 10 months sa atoang child development centers, ang ilahang holistic development nga pag abot nila sa bigger school dili nagyud mag lisod si teacher. Kanang mga scenario nga sa first day of school mag hinilak, dili mag pa biya sa mama kay ilaha na naovercome during sailahang stay sa atoang child development center (Our children within 10 months at our child development centers, their holistic development is already developed when they move to bigger schools and their teachers will not have a hard time. Those scenarios where on the first day of school they cry and don’t want to leave their mothers, they have already overcome that during their stay at our child development center),” she said.
Macadatar also urge private development centers to comply with City Ordinance No. 07829-19, which mandates securing permits to ensure compliance with age-appropriate curriculum and facilities.
Most barangays in Davao City already have development centers, while others implement alternative modalities such as and Parents Teaching Other Parents (PTOP) which aims to provide early childhood education in communities that do not have or are far from daycare centers.
The Development Centers Moving-Up Ceremony is scheduled on March 23–27, 2026 with the theme “Munting hakbang tungo sa maunlad na kinabukasan” which will celebrate the achievements of young learners and their readiness to transition to higher year levels. CIO
Written by: K. Malasado
Edited by: A. Nawal
