By Rose Palacio

Davao City (3 October) -- Children of Davao City, especially the street kids are lucky to get the biggest share of protection under the administration of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte against unscrupulous persons who are out to exploit them, said City Social Services and Development Office chief Marilyn Agonia during the opening of the children's month-long (October) celebration.

Masuko gyud si Mayor Duterte ug among-amongan ang atong mga bata (exploitation really gets the ire of Mayor Duterte), Agonia said.

Agonia said the welfare and protection of all children is one of the agenda of the Duterte administration because he believes that our children are the hope of our fatherland.

She also lauded the good performances of non government organizations having programs on children's protection and Gracia Frias of CSSDO for spearheading the yearly Children's Fun Day as a way of bringing together all children for socialization, enhancement and development of their growth. Drug dependents would also share their own talents during the month-long celebration.

"It will be amazing and very touching if the public can witness how drug dependents share their own talents. They are doing good. Parang hindi nakaranas ng sakit sa ipinagbabawal na gamot (as if they were not drug dependents at all), commented Marites Zafra one of the local mediamen covering the month-long affair.

A children's survey undertaken by the National Statistics Office (NSO) stated that a total of 6.5 million Filipino children 5-17 years old are found in Mindanao, representing a little more than a quarter of the country's 24.8 million children.

Three in ten children in Mindanao live in region eleven, while the rest are almost evenly distributed among the island's five other regions.