Why the Philippines needs more child-friendly spaces

Walk through any Philippine city, and you'll quickly notice something missing: children. Or more precisely, spaces for children.

- ANNA MAE YU LAMENTILLO

Our streets are loud and dangerous, our sidewalks narrow or nonexistent, and our public parks—where they exist—are often neglected, overrun, or designed with more concrete than care. Yet children are everywhere, living in these environments, shaped by them daily.

If we truly believe that “ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan,” then we must design spaces that reflect that belief. Because the spaces we create say a lot about the priorities we hold—and right now, we are not prioritizing our children nearly enough.

Why child-friendly spaces matter

Child-friendly spaces are not just playgrounds or amusement parks. They are environments—public and private—where children can safely explore, play, learn, and grow. These spaces consider a child’s scale, mobility, safety, and developmental needs. They invite creativity, spark curiosity, and nurture relationships. Importantly, they are accessible to all children, regardless of income or ability.

Children need space—not just in the physical sense, but space to be loud, silly, curious, and free. These moments of unstructured play are not trivial. They are foundational to emotional regulation, cognitive development, social skills, and even resilience. When we deprive children of safe, engaging spaces to play and be themselves, we are quietly sabotaging their future.

The Philippine reality