Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan assured parents in the city on Monday, Nov. 6, that she will prioritize the health of Manileño children's first 1,000 days.

Lacuna-Pangan made the pronouncement as she led the city’s celebration of Children’s Month along with Manila Social Welfare Department chief Re Fugoso and Manila Vice Mayor Yul Servo-Nieto.

She said the city government's foremost policy is to provide the best care possible for the city’s children.

In her speech, Lacuna-Pangan stressed the importance of upholding and respecting each child’s rights, including being loved and properly cared for, and supporting their aspirations. 

She also said that the children’s potential must be honed and that they must be loved "unconditionally."

“Dito sa Maynila, walang naiiwan.  Lahat kasama, lahat mahalaga. Maging ang mga bata ay kasama sa paninindigan nating ito sa pamamahala. Ito rin ang batayan ng mga inilalatag nating mga programa at proyekto para sa mga Batang Manilenyo (Here in Manila, nothing is left behind. All included, all important. Even children are included in our stance on governance. This is also the basis of the programs and projects we are laying out for Batang Manilenyo),” she said.

“Bahagi ng ating polisiya ang City Ordinance 8993 na nagbibigay kasiguruhan na mapapangalagaan ang kalusugan ng bawat sanggol sa unang isang libong araw nito mula pagkasilang. Ito ay ipinatutupad ng ating Manila Health Department (MHD) katuwang ang ating 44 na mga Health Centers at anim na mga ospital (Part of our policy is City Ordinance 8993, which ensures that the health of every baby is taken cared of during its first thousand days from birth. This was implemented by our Manila Health Department (MHD) in partnership with our 44 Health Centers and six hospitals),” she said.

MHD Chief Dr. Poks Pangan reported that a total of 21,576 children have been given complete vaccination, while 26,220 children aged 12 to 59 months received two doses of Vitamin A and deworming tablet from Jan. to Sept. 2023,

Micronutrient supplements were also given to pregnant women and children including a Human Milk Bank or storage for breast milk in Ospital ng Maynila, Justice Jose Abad Santos General Hospital, and Gat Andres Bonifacio Medical Center and Supplemental Feeding Program.

The city government said its various units are actively participating in implementing programs and projects that respond to children’s needs particularly when it comes to their health, knowledge, training, well-being, and safety.