McDonald's Charities starts to build 'Bahay Bulilit' day care centers outside Manila

ILOILO CITY (April 29) -- McDonald’s Charities has begun building "Bahay Bulilit" day care centers outside Metro Manila in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units that readily welcome and support the project.

In fact, the social development arm of McDonald's Philippines inaugurated in this city the first "Bahay Bulilit" built outside Metro Manila last April 19 since the collaboration with DSWD began in 2003 with quite a number built in the national capital region.

As this developed, the DSWD regional office in Cebu has begun looking for the site for the first "Bahay Bulilit." It had made liaisons with LGUs in Metro Cebu to identify the site, disclosed Cerwin T. Eviota, PR agent for Vis-Min of McDonald's Philippines.

Similar initiatives are also being done elsewhere in the Visayas and Mindanao, he said, noting that a site was already identified early last year in Cagayan de Oro City and Zamboanga City, only that the LGUs there have yet to clear the lots from encumbrances.

Under the "Bahay Bulilit" program, the LGU, which may be in the barangay level, provides the site with at least 150 square meters in lot area and made available for at least 25 years, according to Butch Salaya, executive director of McDonald's Charities.

McDonald's Charities undertakes the physical development for the cost of about P1.5 million and will turn over the facility to the host LGU and DSWD through the Policy Development and Planning Bureau, he added.

Under a memorandum of agreement that project partners will sign, DSWD will operate the "Bahay Bulilit" by assigning competent social workers and teachers who will handle the basic education of the beneficiary children from the host and neighboring barangays.

Here in Iloilo City, the project partners inaugurated the "Bahay Bulilit" at Barangay Benedicto in Jaro District, only five months after the groundbreaking ceremonies last Nov. 20 with Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas himself attending both activities.

"We are some pleased of the degree of collaboration of the Iloilo City Government and the overwhelming cooperation that Benedicto barangay officials gave us from the time we conducted the survey until we turned over the facility," Salaya said.

DSWD Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral herself graced the April 19 turnover, and so did her predecessor, acting secretary Luwalhati Pablo during the Nov. 20 groundbreaking.

Romeo Bachoco, senior vice president of McDonald's Philippines and a board member of McDonald's Charities, also graced both the groundbreaking and turnover ceremonies, along with fellow board member Helen Aquino who witnessed the inauguration.

Beneficiary children performed during both ceremonies.

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BAHAY BULILIT. The first unit outside Metro Manila in Iloilo City stands with splendor as McDonald's Charities turned the day care center to DSWD and the host barangay. In left photo, Ronald McDonald hands the symbolic key to Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas with DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Benedicto Barangay Captain Alberto Salting and McDonald's Charities board member Romero Bachoco as witness.