Having no safe place to play can affect kids’ growth, NGO says

The lack of safe playgrounds in the city has negative consequences for the growth and development of a child, a group says.

"'Yung need nila to play, it's like eating, drinking...it's part of their development. And if you curtail that, if you remove that, just like pag hindi mo pakainin ang bata, hindi sila lalaking normal," said Play Pilipinas executive director Sigrid Perez in a Balitanghali report.

Play Pilipinas is a non-government organization that advocates greater participation in, provision for, and protection of children's right to play at home and in communities.

In Metro Manila, many children have gone to the streets to play due to the unavailability of playgrounds with swings and slides, putting their safety at risk.

"Dapat sana, 'yung area kasi dapat para rito, 'yung area ay dapat nakareserba na. Ang hirap kasi, ang kalaban diyan commercialization at gentrification, 'yung dumadami ang tao sa siyudad, dumadami ang mga businesses," Grace Ramos, an environmental and urban planner, said.

According to the report, Metro Manila has around 500 public playgrounds, with one city having no recreational areas.

Pasay City has no record of its number of playgrounds while Taguig City has not released its data yet.

Play Pilipinas said there must be one playground for every barangay in the city. Metro Manila has more than 1,700 barangays.

"Kulang sa playground at walang safety standard. 'Yung nagtatayo sila ng, 'o sige basta may swing, may slide, may ganyan, tayo tapos' After awhile, wala na," Perez said.

The group also noted that some playgrounds are not maintained properly.

The lack of recreational parks and playgrounds for children also means that many of them are brought to shopping malls as a form of diversion instead.

"[T]here is a need at wala naman na available facilities provided by the government," socio-anthropologist Dr. Virgel Binghay said. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News