OLONGAPO CITY – On November 22, 2025, over 200 children gathered at Marikit Park to celebrate this year’s National Children’s Month, with a special focus on Road Safety. Organized by ACTION, Inc., in collaboration with Tamang Ride PH, the event brought together beneficiaries from partner communities in Olongapo City and Bataan, as well as residential care facilities, including Center for Youth, Olongapo City, Jireh Children’s Home, PREDA Home for Boys, PREDA Home for Girls, and the Social Development Center, Olongapo City.
Parents, guardians, and staff from these communities and centers also joined the celebration, surrounding the children with encouragement and support. In this space, advocacy, creativity, and learning came alive, showing that road safety is not just a concept, but a shared responsibility that everyone can take part in.
The Story Behind This Year’s Road Safety Theme
This year’s celebration highlighted the urgent need to protect children on our roads. Children remain among the most vulnerable road users, often exposed to traffic risks that can have serious consequences. The event provided them with a platform to engage with road safety in ways that were interactive, creative, and empowering. Through dance, music, arts, sports, and digital media, the children explored and imagined what it means to stay safe, expressing their ideas and concerns while showcasing their talents and skills.
More importantly, the celebration aimed to empower children not only to protect themselves but also to take the lead in promoting safer roads. By giving them space to participate, make decisions, and express their voices, the event showed that children can become active advocates, influencing their families, peers, and communities to build a culture of awareness, responsibility, and care on every road or street.
Program Kickoff: Setting the Tone for Road Safety
The celebration began with a warm introduction from program hosts and ACTION, Inc. Project Officers Ms. Ellaine Bondoc and Ms. Mellicent Sto. Domingo, who welcomed the children and partners and signaled the start of a day dedicated to creativity, learning, and advocacy.
This was followed by the official welcome message from Ms. Adelina Apostol, Board Member of ACTION, Inc., who underscored the purpose of the gathering:
“Ating isapuso na dapat ang mga kabataan ngayon ay may proteksyon kung sila ay maglalakad—papunta sa school at kung saan man.” (English Translation: “Let us take to heart that children must be protected whenever they walk—whether going to school or anywhere else.”)
Her message reinforced the shared responsibility of keeping children safe on the road and inspired everyone present to play an active role in empowering young people to champion road safety.
The program also recognized key guests in attendance, including Coun. Tet Marzan-Estrella, Chairperson of Olongapo City’s Committee on Women, Family, and Gender Equality; Ms. Nova Codoy, RSW, Head of the Olongapo City Social Welfare and Development Office; and Ptr. Joel Alviar, Executive Director of Jireh Children’s Home.
Showcasing Road Safety Through Art, Dance, and Sports
The celebration featured an energetic dance number performed by Chikara beneficiaries under the guidance of Mr. Ferdinand Telmo, Dance No Chikara Instructor. Their performance radiated confidence, teamwork, and creativity, showing that advocacy can be expressed through movement and immediately engaging the audience.
Between activities, Coun. Marzan-Estrella shared an inspiring message of gratitude and support for ACTION, Inc., highlighting its commitment to advancing children’s welfare and safety through Tamang Ride PH. She also shared a personal experience witnessing a road safety accident involving a child, underscoring why this advocacy is more urgent and important than ever.
The beneficiaries later returned to the stage for a Karate Kata demonstration led by Mr. Jim Edison Rabaca, Karate No Chikara Instructor. Their controlled, confident movements highlighted how dedication and self-control in martial arts reflect the mindfulness and responsibility needed for safety in everyday life.
As part of the celebration, the young participants showcased their commitment to road safety through a series of contests, each offering a unique platform to communicate their messages:
- Dance Competition: In both Kids and Teens categories, children used dance to turn movement into advocacy, promoting road safety in ways that were lively, expressive, and impactful.
- Poster-Making: Creative artworks were displayed during the event, offering insight into how children perceive road safety and translate their ideas into visual expression.
- Song-Making: Participants performed original compositions, bringing safety messages to life through music while inspiring the audience with both talent and purpose.
- TikTok Video-Making: Teens showcased original videos, exhibiting how digital media can engage young audiences and effectively spread advocacy messages.
- Karate Kata Competition: Participants performed Karate Kata with focus and precision, demonstrating how discipline, skill, and mindful practice in martial arts can translate into safe and responsible behavior on the road.
Through their performances and creations, the children became powerful advocates themselves, reminding everyone that road safety begins with awareness, responsibility, and collective action.
Recognizing Young Champions for Safer Roads
As the event drew to a close, children were honored for their remarkable efforts, with winners receiving prizes and certificates of recognition. The rest of the participants were also acknowledged with consolation prizes and certificates of participation, celebrating their creativity, talent, and commitment to promoting road safety. This recognition underscored a powerful message: Every child has the potential to lead, inspire, and make a difference in their communities.
Below is the official list of winners per category:
TikTok Video-Making Contest:
- Winner: Social Development Center
Poster-Making Contest:
Kids Category
- First Place: “Shyra” of Jireh Children’s Home
- Second Place: “Jessely” of Social Development Center
Teens Category
- First Place: “Roda” of Jireh Children’s Home
- Second Place: “Keith” of PREDA Home for Girls
- Third Place: “Jhofel” of Jireh Children’s Home
Song-Making Contest:
- First Place: “Haziel” of PREDA Home for Girls
- Second Place: “The Radiant Three” of Jireh Children’s Home
Dance Competition:
Kids Category
- First Place: Chikara Community-Based Beneficiaries (Olongapo City)
- Second Place: Jireh Children’s Home
- Third Place: Preda Home for Girls
Teens Category
- First Place: Chikara Community-Based Beneficiaries (Olongapo City)
- Second Place: Preda Home for Girls
- Third Place: Jireh Children’s Home
Karate Kata Competition:
Kids Category
- First Place: Chikara Community-Based Beneficiaries in Olongapo
- Second Place: Jireh Children’s Home
- Third Place: Preda Home for Boys
Teens Category
- First Place: Jireh Children’s Home
- Second Place: Chikara Community-Based Beneficiaries in Bataan
- Third Place: Preda Home for Girls
Continuing Road Safety Advocacy: Inspiring Change Beyond the Event
To officially end the event, Ms. Evangeline Grace Balais-Tiglao, RSW, Head of Operations for NCR, thanked all children, parents, staff, and partner organizations for their participation and support. She encouraged everyone to carry the advocacy beyond the celebration, reminding participants that every child deserves safer roads and communities where they can learn, play, and grow.
This year’s National Children’s Month Celebration showed that children are powerful advocates for road safety. Through their creativity, talent, and dedication, they are proving that young voices can inspire safer roads and more responsible communities. Moments like these remind us that when children are given space, opportunities, and encouragement, they can spark conversations that drive real change for everyone.
By nurturing their potential, we all play a part in shaping a future led by children’s leadership and commitment to safety. Support programs and advocacies like the Chikara Program and Tamang Ride PH*, and discover how you can help empower these young changemakers.
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Tamang Ride PH extends its gratitude to our partners and sponsors for their continued support of our advocacy efforts.
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