Quezon City has been named Most Child-Friendly City in the 2025 Presidential Awards for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities (Presidential Awards for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities), marking a historic milestone for the city.

This is Quezon City’s first Presidential Award under the Highly Urbanized City (HUC) category, underscoring the local government’s sustained and institutionalized commitment to child-centered governance.

“We thank the Council for the Welfare of Children and the national government agencies behind this award for recognizing Quezon City’s initiatives toward building a truly child-centered city,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said. “We will continue to invest in programs that safeguard and promote children’s rights, and enable them to grow, thrive, and live freely and productively.”

The PACFMC recognizes local government units (LGUs) that demonstrate exemplary performance in advancing children’s rights to survival, development, protection, and participation, as enshrined in national and international frameworks.

Quezon City joins fellow national finalists Butuan City, Angeles City, and Iloilo City in the HUC category after emerging as the regional winner for the National Capital Region (NCR).

To qualify for the award, LGUs must first earn the Seal of Child-Friendly Local Governance (SCFLG) and achieve a minimum rating of 80 percent in the Child-Friendly Local Governance Audit (CFLGA). The audit evaluates performance across several LGU classifications, including First to Third Class Municipalities, Fourth to Sixth Class Municipalities, Component Cities, Independent Component Cities, and Highly Urbanized Cities.

Quezon City underwent a comprehensive national audit and validation process in October, which included site visits to five barangays and interviews with key informants, frontline workers, and residents to assess the city’s programs and systems for children.

Among the initiatives cited by the national committee were Quezon City’s strong and responsive Children’s Code, consistently high budget utilization for child-focused programs, and flagship initiatives such as the Quezon City Human Milk Bank (QCHMB) and the Quezon City Birth Registration Online (QCBRO) system. The city’s network of child protection centers and temporary shelters, solarization of public schools, and sustained efforts to address online sexual abuse and exploitation of children (OSAEC) and child labor also played a key role in securing the award.

“We recognize that building a child-inclusive city requires a multi-sectoral and holistic approach,” Mayor Belmonte added. “That is why we work closely across departments and with our partners to ensure that our programs and services genuinely respond to the needs and realities of our children.”

Earlier this year, Quezon City also received multiple recognitions for its child welfare initiatives during the 2025 Urban Governance Exemplar Awards of the Department of the Interior and Local Government–National Capital Region (DILG-NCR), including:

• Top Performer – Local Council for the Protection of Children (Performance Year 2024)

• Top Performer – Local Committee on Anti-Trafficking and Violence Against Women and the Child Functionality Audit

• Regional Winner (NCR) – Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities

With these achievements, Quezon City further strengthens its standing as a model local government unit, championing inclusive, responsive, and people-centered governance, with the welfare and future of its children at the core of its development agenda.