You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

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Friday, June 27, 2025

Designing for the future: Why the Philippines needs more child-friendly spaces


 

By Anna Mae Lamentillo

Published Jun 27, 2025 12:04 am


Walk through any Philippine city, and you’ll quickly notice something missing: children. Or more precisely, spaces for children. Our streets are loud and dangerous, our sidewalks narrow or nonexistent, and our public parks—where they exist—are often neglected, overrun, or designed with more concrete than care. Yet children are everywhere, living in these environments, shaped by them daily.

If we truly believe that “ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan,” then we must design spaces that reflect that belief. Because the spaces we create say a lot about the priorities we hold—and right now, we are not prioritizing our children nearly enough.

Why child-friendly spaces matter

Child-friendly spaces are not just playgrounds or amusement parks. They are environments—public and private—where children can safely explore, play, learn, and grow. These spaces consider a child’s scale, mobility, safety, and developmental needs. They invite creativity, spark curiosity, and nurture relationships. Importantly, they are accessible to all children, regardless of income or ability.

Children need space—not just in the physical sense, but space to be loud, silly, curious, and free. These moments of unstructured play are not trivial. They are foundational to emotional regulation, cognitive development, social skills, and even resilience. When we deprive children of safe, engaging spaces to play and be themselves, we are quietly sabotaging their future.

The Philippine reality

In the Philippines, especially in urban areas like Metro Manila, our built environment often treats children as afterthoughts. Open spaces are shrinking, playgrounds are seen as luxuries, and streets are hostile to small bodies. Cars dominate public roads, sidewalks are obstructed or unsafe, and malls have become the default weekend destination—not because they’re ideal, but because they’re one of the few places where families can be indoors, semi-safe, and away from pollution.

In rural areas and informal settlements, the situation is even more dire. Children play in dangerous streets, near construction zones, or on riversides with little supervision and zero safety infrastructure. These are not child-friendly spaces. These are survival zones.


Yet Filipino children are incredibly resilient. They make toys out of scrap, invent games with stones and sticks, and turn alleys into basketball courts. But resilience should not be an excuse for neglect. We owe them more than the bare minimum.

Child-friendly spaces are

community-friendly spaces

Designing for children has benefits far beyond the children themselves. Child-friendly spaces often lead to more inclusive, walkable, and community-oriented environments. When streets are made safe for kids, they’re also safer for the elderly, people with disabilities, and caregivers. When parks are designed for playful exploration, they also become spaces for rest, conversation, and connection.

In short, child-friendly spaces lead to people-friendly cities.

What can be done

We need to start with policy, but also imagination. LGUs must be empowered and incentivized to allocate space for children—not as an afterthought in planning but as a central design principle. Public parks should be properly maintained, well-lit, and free. Streets near schools should have lower speed limits, wide sidewalks, and traffic-calming features. Urban planners must consult with educators, caregivers, and even children themselves to understand how a space will be used.

Schools can also open up their playgrounds after hours for community use. Barangay halls can designate “play streets” on weekends. Developers can be required to include accessible green spaces—not just for aesthetics, but for play and interaction.

Private sector involvement matters too. Malls can reimagine themselves not just as consumption hubs, but as safe places for creative play and learning. Restaurants can make space for child-friendly amenities beyond just a high chair. We already know how to build; we just need to build with children in mind.

Design is a reflection of values

To design for children is to design with empathy, foresight, and humility. It says we care about our future not in slogans, but in sidewalks. Not in speeches, but in swings, slides, and shaded benches. It says we understand that children are not just passive observers of adult life—they are active participants in society, deserving of spaces that welcome, protect, and nurture them.

In the end, a child-friendly Philippines is not just a better place for kids—it’s a better place for all of us. Let’s start building that future now.

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