By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
NESTL脡 Philippines鈥 long-standing commitment to educate kids on the importance of living an active and healthy lifestyle gets an added dimension with the formal opening last weekend of the Milo Stadium in KidZania Manila in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
A state-of-the-art, kid-sized sports arena, the stadium is designed for children ages seven to 14, where they are encourage to start on the path of being active and healthy through physical activity and proper nutrition.
鈥淭his stadium is part of our overall program to promote an active and healthy lifestyle here in the Philippines. It is a venue where we promote sports to the kids and for them to start early in it,鈥 said Nestl茅 Philippines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jacques Reber in an interview.
鈥淭his is a great opportunity to push our mission to build a generation of champions here. This stadium is a perfect example of how we are going about it,鈥 he added.
In the Milo Stadium, kids play the role of an athlete, specializing in either basketball, football, volleyball or cheerleading.
Each sport will train them in a series of drills and take them through a live game simulation that promotes the value of teamwork, among others.
KidZania instructors, called Zupervisors, will also teach the importance of proper nutrition as well as the Milo Champ Moves dance 鈥 a three-minute exercise emulating sports movements aimed at energizing kids鈥 bodies and minds.
COMPLEMENT
For KidZania, an indoor play city where kids can have fun exploring the adult world and which opened its doors to the public here in Manila in August last year, the Milo Stadium fortifies its roster of activities.
鈥淜idZania is really an educational-entertainment facility. We complement the K to 12 track we have in the Philippines. In it there is Science, Math as well as Physical Education and Health. Here we have a specific activity for each track and in the Physical Education and Health track there is where the Milo Stadium comes in,鈥 said Cecille L. Mari帽o, KidZania Manila Industry Partners Director, in a separate interview.
Seeing how innovative and conducive the area is for learning, collegiate basketball standout and Milo Champion Kiefer Ravena could not hide his amazement of the newly opened stadium.
鈥淭his is really a cool place. I was surprised how Milo came up with this. It imbibes the feel of being in a real stadium and I think this is great for kids where they can enjoy basketball, volleyball, football and cheerleading,鈥 Mr. Ravena shared.
He also sees it as being of help to what they are trying to accomplish in Milo.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big help to have venues like this as the kids have the chance to have fun and learn the value of living a healthy lifestyle. So I will definitely bring my nieces and nephews here,鈥 the Ateneo de Manila University star player said.
KidZania Manila is located at Park Triangle, North 11th Avenue, BGC. For more information on it, logon to manila.kidzania.com.
