Quintana Roo Governor Inaugurates Community Center for Over 15,000 Children in Playa del Carmen

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Governor Mara Lezama inaugurated a new community development center in Playa del Carmen on Tuesday that will serve more than 15,000 children and adolescents from vulnerable neighborhoods.

The Pilares center, located in the 28 de Julio neighborhood, is the second such facility in Quintana Roo and will offer educational support, free meals, workshops, sports activities, and psychological services. The center represents a joint investment of approximately 1.5 million pesos and will increase service capacity by 56 percent.

Lezama was joined by María del Rocío García Pérez, director of the national DIF social services agency, along with Verónica Lezama Espinosa, honorary president of the Quintana Roo DIF, and Playa del Carmen Mayor Estefanía Mercado.

“This center is designed for those who have historically been forgotten,” Lezama said during the inauguration ceremony. She noted that the facility will serve children from 18 neighborhoods identified as high-risk areas, many of whom are children of tourism workers living in vulnerable conditions.

The governor explained that the Pilares model—which stands for Punto de Innovación, Libertad, Arte, Educación y Saberes (Point of Innovation, Freedom, Art, Education, and Knowledge)—aims to rebuild social fabric, reduce inequality, and decrease violence through equitable access to culture, education, sports, and health services.

“Investing in people is the most powerful investment a government can make,” Lezama stated, describing the center as representing a humanistic, feminist approach to governance focused on social justice and prevention as public policy.

Verónica Lezama Espinosa explained that the municipal-operated center will provide services Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., offering food security, recreational activities, workshops, and tutoring while families are at work.

“When we do things from the heart and with conviction, we strengthen families and society,” she said, adding that the center will help children develop fully through education, exercise, recreation, and training while providing free, nutritious meals through its community kitchen.

María del Rocío García Pérez highlighted the coordinated effort between federal, state, and municipal governments, inviting everyone to continue working to make the Pilares centers “a point of hope and reconstruction of the social fabric.”

Mayor Estefanía Mercado emphasized that the inauguration represents more than just a building—it’s a comprehensive strategy directly impacting thousands of young people. The facility includes nine equipped classrooms, educational and productive workshops, cultural, sports, and artistic activities, plus psychological, nutritional, and health services.

Following the ceremony, officials toured the facilities, spoke with beneficiaries, and inspected the equipment and services.

Also in attendance were Heyden Cebada Rivas, president of the State Supreme Court; state congress representative María José Osorio Rosas; Abril Sabido Alcérreca, director general of the Quintana Roo DIF; Eduardo Asencio Martínez, honorary president of the Playa del Carmen Municipal DIF; and director Deyanira Martínez Estrada.