ABK3 LEAP, in partnership with the Provincial Council for the Rights and Welfare of Children (PCRWC) of Negros Occidental, will amplify the plight of Negrense child laborers at the provincial celebration of World Day Against Child Labor at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon Park in Bacolod City this morning.

About 1,000 children, parents, local government units and sugar industry partners from the 14 partner cities and municipalities in Negros Occidental will join hands in the advocacy to end hazardous child labor in Negros Occidental's sugar industry, a ABK3 LEAP press release said.

This year's theme “No to Child Labor, Yes to Quality Education” emphasizes the importance of adequate education and skills as a key step in breaking the vicious cycle of child labor in families, it added.

A “March Against Child Labor” will kick-off the celebration at 8 a.m. while booths will be set up by partner cities and municipalities to showcase the different products and services from the various livelihoods and skills training assistance provided to the household beneficiaries by ABK3 LEAP and its partners, it said

A short program will start at 10 a.m. to celebrate the contribution of ABK3 LEAP's partners in the advocacy against child labor in sugarcane farms, it added.

Now in its final year of project implementation, ABK3 LEAP is directly assisting 54,000 children from 30,331 households in 11 sugar producing provinces in the country, including Negros Occidental. It continues to rally local governments, communities, schools and the private sector in accelerating and sustaining policies and programs to help support child laborers and their families, the press release said.

ABK3 LEAP is implemented by World Vision Development Foundation, in partnership with ChildFund Philippines, Educational Research and Development Assistance Foundation, Sugar Industry Foundation, Community Economic Ventures Inc., and University of the Philippines Social Action and Research for Development Foundation Inc.

Funding for the project was provided by the United States Department of Labor, the press release said.*

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