What is ABK 2 Initiative?
ABK 2 is the second phase of the ABK Initiative, which was led by World Vision Development Foundation and funded by the United States Department of Labor in 2003. It is a special project for combating child labor through education in the Philippines.

ABK were taken from the three letters of the old Filipino alphabet Alibata to form the acronym for Pag-Aaral ng Bata para sa Kinabukasan (Education for the Children’s Future).

For the second phase of this project, ABK goes by the slogan TEACh Now! (Take Every Action for Children Now!) to emphasize the urgent action needed to help our children working in the worst forms of child labor (WFCL).

What is the project goal?
ABK 2 seeks to contribute to the sustainable reduction of exploitive child labor in the Philippines. This goal is hoped to be achieved by improving the quality, relevance and accessibility of educational services, by increasing awareness on the risks and losses of human potential caused by WFCL, and by developing the capacities of families, community members and governments to identify and address child labor problems in their communities.

What is the project’s purpose?
The project’s purpose is for 30,000 children engaged in or at risk of the worst forms of child labor (WFCL) to be withdrawn or prevented from exploitive labor and be educated.

What are the objectives of the project?
Improved awareness and attitudes of target communities on the importance of education and difference between acceptable child work and exploitive child labor
Improved access to quality and relevant education programs for target beneficiaries
Strengthened structures and influenced institutions to enforce and reinforce policies, systems & programs for the elimination of Child Labor
Economic capacities of target families and working youth aged 15-17 strengthened

What priority sectors of child labor does ABK 2 Initiative target?
ABK 2 Initiative targets the six priority sectors of the Philippine Time-Bound Program (PTBP) for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor.  These are the following:
Children in Deep-Sea Fishing       
Children in Commercial Sexual Exploitation
Children in Domestic Work       
Children in Pyrotechnics
Children in Mining/Quarrying
Children in Sugarcane Plantations

Aside from these sectors, ABK 2 also targets the following emerging Worst Forms of Child Labor:
Children in Commercial Agriculture (copra, rubber, mango, banana, corn)   
Children in Scavenging

What are the priority areas?
The project is being implemented in 7 regions in the Philippines which include the following areas:

Bulacan             
Camarines Norte
Cebu   
Compostela Valley
Davao City
Davao del Sur
Iloilo
Leyte
Metro Manila           
Negros Occidental        
Negros Oriental

How can it help solve problems on child labor?
The ABK 2 Initiative is holistic in its approach. It focuses on direct intervention and support at the micro (target beneficiaries), meso (institutions) and macro (policy) levels.

How is the project funded?
ABK 2 Initiative is a four-year project implemented from September 2007-September 2011. Funding for this project is provided by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) under cooperative agreement number IL-16570-07-75-K with counterpart funding from the  implementing agencies.

Who are the implementing agencies?
Christian Children's Fund Philippines
Educational Research and Development Assistance Foundation, Inc. (ERDA)
World Vision Development Foundation, Inc.

What are the partner agencies?
Department of Education (DepEd)
Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)           
Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD)
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)    
International Labor Organization- International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC)
Local government units, NGOs, community organizations, and program stakeholders

For more information on ABK and our child labor programs, kindly email pima_arizala@wvi.org