More parents investing in play centers for child dev't

CEBU, Philippines - Early education operators have seen a growing interest among modern parents on investing in early childhood education facilities, with cost coming in as a second priority to quality of service.

"Parents are now becoming more inclined on providing their kids, as early as zero months old, an opportunity to develop their skills," said Trixie Suarez, managing director of Gymboree Play and Music in Cebu.

 Eight years after it was established, Gymboree Play & Music has opened the doors to its second home, located at the Mezzanine level of the Cebu Parklane International Hotel.

 The Cebu market is now seeing an increase in the number of parents investing on play centers that capitalize on early childhood development, she said.

 The first play center in Cebu is located at the Banilad Town Center.  According to Suarez, when they first introduced Gymboree in 2005, they had a difficult time convincing parents to enroll their kids in their center.

 "Now, however, we are seeing parents coming to us because they already know us and trust us. In the last eight years we have had 1,750 children enrolled in our center," she said.

Gymboree in Cebu Parklane Hotel is the 13th branch in the country, which covers a floor area of at least 215 square meters. Suarez  said that most of the space will be taken over by equipment, of which Gymboree has invested millions of pesos in.

 "This equipment, made from the United  States, is  safe and gives children the much-needed stimulation to reach development and growth," she said.

 Suarez said the expansion only shows that the Cebu market has matured and parents are now "more conscious of their children's early development."

She again cited the increasing disposable income as a factor that encourages parents to invest more in their children.

Gymboree's programs are backed by 30 years of research. These are designed to encourage positive learning in both newborns and toddlers. Classes are in six-month increments, and children are divided into different levels to address developmental milestones.

Gymboree Play & Music has a total of 10 centers in the Philippines and celebrates its 10th year in the country.  (FREEMAN)