Fourteen teachers from Negros Oriental are vying for this year’s 2nd Gawad Anti-Child Labor Award for Teachers (ACLAT), under the ABK2 Initiative of the non-government advocacy organization, World Vision Development Foundation-Philippines.
The competition is divided into the following categories, namely: teachers category, para-teachers category, little teachers category, and the special awards in the city level.
Competing for the awards are mentors from Mabinay town and the cities of Bayawan and Bais.
They are Arlene Esmille, Bemar Torres and Rosemarie Cañete (teachers category); Diosdada Sablada, Merle Zerna, Jason Babor and Imelda Sumadia (para-teachers category); Erchelyn Dominguez, Melody Torreña, Marijane Suarez and Benjamin Cauntod, Jr. (little teachers category); and Myrna Sumagaysay, Henedina Caroro, Marivel Oriola, Groselie Ragay and Carmelita Valencia (special awards in the city level).
The awards are directed at giving due recognition to mentors whose best practices and other endeavors complement the objective of World Vision in its ABK2 project — funded by the United States Department of Labor — to ease the problem of child labor in the Philippines and instead, send these children back to school.
The project is also done in coordination with the Department of Education, the Philippine government, the Department of Labor and Employment, local government units, the Philippine National Police, and non-government groups, to push for advocacy against child labor, establish networking among stakeholders, document cases of child labor in an area, and institute venues and accessibility to education, and encourage active community participation to reduce exploitation of children in the labor workforce.
PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas was named chairman of the screening committee which will come up with the final list of winners during Friday’s awarding.
Present during the Thursday meeting were Sr. Supt. Lawas, Dr. Milagros Velez, division of schools superintendent of Negros Oriental, Baby Jambora of the Oriental Negros Children’s Advocacy Network, representatives from the Youth Advocates Through Theatre Arts, the Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation (GWAVE), the Department of Social Welfare and Development and officials from the World Vision-Philippines/ABK2 Project.
The awarding ceremony will be held Friday at the Sta. Monica Beach Resort here, after the final screening of the nominees.
Started in 2003, the foreign-assisted project targeting the eradication of child labor in the Philippines will end in September, this year. (PNA) Judy F. Partlow