Councilor Jonjon Rodriguez, co-chairperson of the City Council for the Protection of Children (CCPC), led a special meeting to finalize preparations for the 2026 National Children’s Month Celebration in Cagayan de Oro City.
The celebration will focus on Child Protection in Emergencies (CPIE) under the theme, “Mandindigan! Tumugon at Kumalinga: Sa Batang Handa, Mas Ligtas ang Bansa.”
The calendar includes district kick-offs on November 6 in Barangay Lumbia and November 8 in Barangay Nazareth, followed by a simultaneous observance on November 9 at City Hall, the 80 barangays, and schools.
Other activities include the Children’s Summit on November 21, the participation of newly elected children’s federation officers as Little City Councilors on November 23, and an “Araw ng Pasasalamat” for CCPC stakeholders on November 28.
For Rodriguez, Children’s Month is more than a yearly celebration. It is a reminder of the community’s continuing responsibility to protect children, ensure they are heard, and provide a safe environment for them to grow. (JDO/SP)
Seeing government centers in other cities made City Councilor Juancho Pascual envision a similar government hub for Cagayan de Oro, where the 85-year-old City Hall and other dispersed government facilities continue to serve a growing city.
Pascual recalled travelling by land from Mindanao to Luzon during a Christmas break and saw different city halls and government centers along the way.
During his visit to Sorsogon, he admired the city’s government buildings, wide roads, and well-planned government area.
“I was in awe of what I saw, and I remember thinking, 'I wish we could someday do something like this for Cagayan de Oro,’” Pascual said.
He said the experiences happened long before the current discussion on the proposed new government hub and shaped his views that a new government center should be more than simply having new buildings.
“It isn’t just about parking, air-conditioning, or new tiles,” he said.
Pascual said the feasibility study presented to the City Council envisions consolidating government offices, some of which are located in different locations in the city, and developing more integrated and digitalized services, with adequate transaction and waiting areas and improved accessibility for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
The proposed government hub would also provide better parking and traffic circulation, disaster-resilient, open and green spaces, and room for future expansion.
The study also projects long-term savings through lower maintenance costs, energy-efficient facilities, solar power, and other operational efficiencies, instead of continuously spending on aging and fragmented government facilities.
He added that the area’s potential site, which is 22.9 hectares, gives the opportunity to plan for the growing city in the next several decades.
Pascual, however, stressed that the vision must be weighed against the city’s financial capacity, saying the proposed P8.5-billion financing should undergo scrutiny before any commitment is made. (PGU/SP)
Vice Mayor Bebot Rodriguez is pushing for the enactment of Cagayan de Oro Climate Resilience and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) Investments Mechanism Ordinance.
The proposed ordinance seeks to establish an annual Climate Resilience Obligation (CRO) for registered large and medium covered enterprises and create a mechanism for investments in nature-based solutions to address climate risks such as flooding and drought.
During the joint meeting of the committee on trade and commerce, committee on climate change adaptation and mitigation and disaster risk reduction, and committee on environment, data on the city’s greenhouse gas emissions was presented based on the Enhanced Local Climate Change Action Plan. Cagayan de Oro recorded 2,321,280 tCO₂e in 2025, up from 1,429,704 tCO₂e in 2023 and 1,101,438.22 tCO₂e in 2016.
“There has been no decrease because we still do not have a policy in place specifically to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions,” Vice Mayor Bebot said.
Once approved, the said measure will provide for cooperation with upstream municipalities in Bukidnon, including Talakag, Baungon, and Libona, for joint monitoring, benefit-sharing, and management of shared water resources.
The joint committee meeting was attended by CLENRO, ORO-TIPC, DENR, and other concerned stakeholders, with Congressman Jose Manuel Alba of the 1st District of Bukidnon, who serves as Vice Chairperson of the House Committee on Climate Change, among the invited resource persons. (SPE/SP)
