SOME 300 participants, Christians, Lumads and Muslims, will be on hand to join the Unesco-cited Children's Games Sports for Peace that will open at 1:30 p.m., Friday, August 18, at the Mergrande Ocean Resort in Dumoy, Toril, Davao City.
Overall Children's Games coordinator Serge Opeña said the program will have to be in the afternoon since Muslim children will be at their mosques in the morning.
"Human na sa ilang pangadyi sila makaadto sa venue mga alas dose den mubyahe pa sila og mukaon (They will go to the venue after their morning prayers)," he told VoxPop Davao in a phone interview Thursday, August 17.
He was supposed to guest at the Davao Sportswriters Association (DSA) Forum at The Annex of SM City Davao yesterday but he was also in the final coordination meeting for the Games.
Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman William Ramirez is keynote speaker. It can be recalled that the Sports for Peace program is his brainchild during his first time to head the national sports agency.
The PSC revived the program through the staging of the Davao Children's Games last May with over 1,000 children participants from 20 barangays in the city.
But Opeña said the Children's Games Sports for Peace is different from the one also held here in May as each group of 10 children have an Ate or a Kuya that will facilitate them during the two-day live-in event. A total of 35 sports volunteers underwent training in Catalunan Grande recently in preparation for the Games.
Pinoy Games will then be played after the opening ceremonies.
All participants will be accommodated at the resort's cottages and will be provided with free meals, transportation allowances and parade shirts.
PSC Commissioner Charles Raymond Maxey is also expected to attend.
Unesco has lauded the Children's Games as it promotes "inclusive access for all and maximizing the contributions to sustainable development and peace."
