The City Government of Davao, through the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), is set to bring back Kamp Pag-asa, a summer camp for children with special needs.
Lanie Vergara, manager of the Down Syndrome Association, said the new Kamp Pag-asa will also cater to young adults who also look forward to summer camp every year.
Kamp Pag-asa originally catered to kids between the ages of 7 and 15. When it reopens, it will offer two campsites to accommodate adults.
“Naay duha ka camping nga mahitabo- Kamp Pag-asa kids ug Kamp Pag-asa adults. Ang Kamp Pag-asa kids mao ni ang 7-15 years old. Ang Kamp Pag-asa adults mao nani syang 16 years old pataas (We’re going to have two camping sites- the Kamp Pag-asa kids and Kamp Pag-asa adults. The Kamp Pag-asa kids are for those children ages 7-15. The Kamp Pag-asa adult is intended for adults ages 16 and above),” Vergara said in an interview with the City Information Office.
The summer camp, which started in 2000, was a project of the City Government of Davao that intends to give differently-abled children across economic statuses the opportunity to explore their talents and develop their confidence.
The summer camp was stopped in 2020 due to the pandemic.
“Ang ato’ng mga children with special needs, most sa ila kay dili ma-compromise [ang health], so dili gyud pwede mag-face-to-face (Most of our children with special needs really cannot compromise [their health], so face-to-face was not allowed),” she said.
She added that Kamp Pag-asa was one of the reasons Davao City received an award for being a child-friendly city for two consecutive years.
She said the plan is to hold a revitalised Kamp Pag-asa in April or May next year. CIO
