Every child deserves the chance to reach their full potential and no child should be exploited and be involved in worst forms of child labor.

Worldwide, there are over 152 million children in child laborers wherein 73 million (48%) are in hazardous work.

According to the United States Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Report on Findings on Worst Forms of Child Labor in 2019, there are 3.2 million Filipino children ages 5 to 17 engage in child labor - about 3 million engage hazardous work.

The same report showed that some of these children are engaged in dangerous works in agriculture.

Year 2021 marks the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labour. This year, the international community stands at a midway point to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal to End Child Labour by 2025.

This calls for concerted efforts to ACT specially the duty bearers in all sectors plus the concerned individuals to extend each one’s contribution and support to accomplish one or combination of the following:

• Raise awareness and educate individuals and communities to protect and safeguard our children  
• Through advocacy, strengthen systems and programs for the protection of children against child labor that is based on research and evidence-based information
• Implement programs and policies that will help families to withdraw and prevent children from child labor
• Integrate child labor concerns across broader policies for health, education, and social protection.
• Foster collaboration with development organizations and other competent bodies on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Child (UNCRC), ILO convention 138 and 182, R.A. 9231 and other related laws.

Your support can truly make a difference in saving the children from all forms of hazardous work.

Give your support and share this call for action against child labor to your family and friends.

Here’s the Pledge of Commitment that we encourage you to sign:

Pledge of Commitment

I/We, __________________ (name of agency/office/individual) supports the Philippine government, as a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), to ensure that children grow up in a safe environment protected from violence and any forms of exploitation.

I/We, the partner/s of this endeavor, uphold our purpose to promote the rights and well-being of children towards promoting acceptable conditions of works through the support of ChildFund BuildCA2P project, CSO partners, government line agencies, Local Government Units (LGUs), NGOs, Academe,  private sectors and all stakeholders.

I/We always recognize that the success of this campaign to end child labour in the Philippines lies in our commitment and action as an individual or as an organization. This partnership of collaboration and commitment to end child labor in the country will contribute to our goal to achieve One  Million “Batang Malaya” by 2025!

Therefore, WE are ONE in transpiring the dream of every child to be cared for and protected, be educated and achieved their full potential, for a promising future!

The ChildFund- BuildCA2P Project works to build the capacity of Filipino civil society to more effectively detect and combat child labor and other labor abuses in the crop agricultural sector in Mindanao, Philippines.

To know more about the BuildCA2P Project, visit: https://www.facebook.com/BuildCA2P

#BuildCA2P #ChildFund #StandAgainstChildLabor #1MBatangMalaya