City Mayor John Geesnell “BABA” Yap recently received the Php2.3 millioncheck from ECCD personnel led by Atty. Art Tantuan, Engr. Chris Noel Isogan and Rommel Isip as Tagbilaran City spearheads the construction of the Early Childhood Care and Development Council Project (ECCD).

The 250 sq. m. National Child Development Centre will be constructed in Poblacion II,whilethe City Government’s counterpart is to construct a playground and a perimeter fence. The ECCDwill also provide the furniture, fixtures, equipment and learning materials, and the City Government shall provide a regular Child Development Teacher responsible in the management and operations of the centre.

Mayor Yap who has been consistent with his programs on education is fully committed to the completion of this project, and is hopeful that it would also be duplicated in the other barangays.

The Early Childhood Care and Development Council (ECCD) is a government organization established by the Philippine Government in year 2009 through Executive Order 778.ECCD is mandated toinstitutionalize a National System for Early Childhood Care and Development which is comprehensive, integrative and sustainable whichwould involve multi-sectoral and inter-agency collaboration at the national and local levels of government, service providers, families, communities, the public and private sectors, non-government organizations, professional organizations and academic institutions.

ECCD targets to partner with 500 local government units toestablish a National Child Development Centre (NCDC) which is envisioned to enrich community engagement in early childhood education; serve as a convergence point for community effort on child development and repository of related and relevant data and documents on best practices in the community on early childhood and development. It is designed to be a child-friendly facility with a welcoming and nurturing environment that would attract the interest of young children.