One family at a time, participants of this year’s Family Fun Walk arrived at the Rodelsa Circle Rotunda as early as 4:45 in the morning today, September 19, 2015. In less than an hour, adults and children filled the venue wearing Family Fun Walk shirts in different colors. The participants were representatives from the different government agencies composing the Regional Inter-Agency Committee of the Filipino Family headed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development Regional Field Office 10.
The participating family advocate groups included Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Philippines -Cagayan de Oro, the Kagay-an Evangelical Disaster Response Network (KEDRN), and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the three stakes (dioceses) in Cagayan de Oro which were evidently in full force.
The Family Fun Walk kicked off the weeklong celebration of the 23rd National Family Week from September 20-26. For CDO, the Family Fun Walk has been a regular kick-off activity for the National Family Week since 2012.
At exactly 6:00 in the morning, a 30-minute Zumba session roused the participants. The fun walk and motorcade soon followed as participants left the Rotunda Circle for its route around the city. Upon its return an hour and a half later, the program resumed. Ms. Chona Silvoza, CDO City Social Welfare and Development Focal Person on the Filipino Family, gave the opening message and reiterated the local government’s commitment in pushing forward programs on family welfare.
Quoting this year’s theme for the National Family Week “Gender Equality and Children’s Rights in Contemporary Families," she said that “a family that prays together lives forever." President Ramon Siguiente of the Cagayan de Oro West Philippines Stake gave the closing remarks on behalf of the Church.
One of the guest participants of the Family Fun Walk, Ms. Jan Awitin of Habitat for Humanity Cagayan de Oro, expressed appreciation for the activity and what it stands for. She believes that all must contribute in whatever capacity they can to the establishment of families as the most important unit of society. She expressed her commitment, on behalf of her organization, to always support the Family Fun Walk in the years to come. Ms. Awitin was accompanied by her mother and sister, and by Ms. Badette Villaseran Reyes, Habitat for Humanity CDO Branch Head, and their office staff.
Other activities for the week are the following: September 21 motorcade sponsored by the CSWD; September 28 Nutrition Forum with resource speakers from the National Nutrition Council 10, DSWD Regional Field Office 10 and the Commission on Human Rights; September 28 Kainang Pamilya Mahalaga Day where the Regional Inter-Agency Committee on the Filipino Family has asked SM City to consider giving discounts to families dining in their restaurants on this special day.