10-yr-old girl bags ‘Regional Bright Child Ambassador’ title
by Charmaine P. Tadlas
Cagayan de Oro City (15 December) — Ten-year-old Nikka Villame Abellana from Tangub City was titled as Northern Mindanao’s Junior Ambassador for the Bright Child Campaign last December 12, 2008 in Cagayan de Oro.
The search, participated by child representatives from other cities in Northern Mindanao, was initiated by the Regional Council for the Welfare of Children (RCWC-10) under the leadership of Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 10 (DSWD-10) Regional Director Atty. Araceli Solamillo.
Nikka, who is a grade three student of Tangub City Central School, is now the advocate and spokesperson for the Bright Child Campaign which promotes the provision of basic health, nutrition, psychosocial, education and social protection to children from conception to adolescence.
A chess awardee, Nikka not only exemplifies intellectual capacity, but also displays an epitome of a “bright child.”
Regional Director Solamillo said that a bright child is a child that is not only intellectual or has received honors or citations.
“But he or she has also been breastfed, fully immunized, is enrolled and currently in school, and is also healthy, active, alert, talented, and articulate, has a healthy lifestyle and manifests positive attitudes like courtesy and respect towards other people,” Atty. Solamillo explained.
The RCWC and the DSWD challenges the misconception of the term “bright” which is often referred to intellectual or academic capability of the child.
They said that a “bright child” is considered one if he or she has been provided with basic health, nutrition, psychosocial, education, and social protection services from conception to adolescence and has been practicing positive attitudes and behaviors to becoming healthy, responsible and self-reliant citizen.
Nikka will soon be going throughout Northern Mindanao with RCWC and DSWD to advocate on children’s laws through school assemblies, day care affairs, children and parents’ programs, and other activities.
“I am happy that I was chosen to be the Bright Child Ambassador. This way I can help my peers become a bright child too,” said Nikka. (DSWD-10)
