MANILA, Philippines — For the first time ever, Quezon City has been named as the most child-friendly highly urbanized city in the Philippines.
Quezon City was among the five local government units (LGUs) recognized during the 2025 Presidential Awards for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities (PACFMC) on Monday.
“We thank the Council for the Welfare of Children and the national government agencies behind this award for recognizing Quezon City’s initiatives toward building a truly child-centered city,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said in a statement.
“We will continue to invest in programs that safeguard and promote children’s rights, and enable them to grow, thrive and live freely and productively,” Belmonte added.
The PACFMC recognizes LGUs that demonstrate exemplary performance in advancing children’s rights to survival, development, protection and participation.
To qualify for the award, LGUs must first earn the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance and achieve a minimum rating of 80 percent in the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit.
Among the initiatives cited by the national committee were the city’s strong and responsive Children’s Code, consistently high budget utilization for child-focused programs and flagship initiatives for children.
The city was also recognized for its network of child protection centers and temporary shelters, solarization of public schools and sustained efforts to address online sexual abuse as well as exploitation of children and child labor.
“We recognize that building a child-inclusive city requires a multisectoral and holistic approach,” Belmonte said.
“That is why we work closely across departments and with our partners to ensure that our programs and services genuinely respond to the needs and realities of our children,” she added.
Other awardees include Naga City for the Independent Component City category, Tagaytay for the Component City category, Cabagan, Isabela for the First to Third Class Municipality category and Santo Tomas, La Union for the Fourth to Sixth Class Municipality category.
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