From Iloilo to the Global Stage: The Advocacy Journey of Dave and the Movement to Eliminate Child Labour
Dave is an active child advocate and the president of the Iloilo City Federated Peer Support Group (ICFPSG), a child-led organisation that promotes children’s rights, advocates against child labour, and empowers other children and young people through school- and community-based capacity-building activities. The ICFPSG is supported by the Bidlisiw Foundation, a longtime partner of Terre des Hommes Netherlands (TdH NL) in the Philippines.
Dave has actively contributed to TdH NL’s “Strengthening the Community-based Protection Systems to eliminate Worst Forms of Child Labour (WFCL) in Visayas Region” project, implemented in Iloilo City and Negros Oriental. He has also played an active role in various local advocacy initiatives, including the Adolescent Summit on Children’s Rights, Child Labour, Mental Health and Reproductive Health, as well as the Iloilo Run for a Cause, held in solidarity with the global movement to end child labour. In addition, he has been involved in the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Project Angel Tree, a government program that provides educational assistance and other forms of material support to children engaged in, or at-risk of, hazardous labour.
For Dave, these experiences are deeply personal and shape his belief that:“To fight for children’s welfare is to fight for the very soul of humanity.”
From Iloilo to Bangkok
To gather recommendations from children and young people on how to eliminate child labour, TdH NL conducted simultaneous Focus Group Discussions (FGD) in Iloilo and Dumaguete Cities, on April 12, 2025. The FGDs used interactive, child-friendly methodologies, including a drawing activity to identify local forms of child labour, problem-tree analysis to determine root causes, and stakeholder mapping to identify key actors. The results showed that children strongly associated child labour with systemic poverty, weak local law enforcement, and cultural expectations, all of which contribute to severe educational deprivation and physical harm.
Towards the end of the FGDs, participants were informed about the upcoming ASEAN Consultation in Bangkok, Thailand, which aims to ensure that children and youth’s voices shape the “Call to Action” for the development of the new ASEAN Roadmap on the Prevention of Child Labour. Following candidate speeches and a democratic voting process, Dave was elected to represent Iloilo, while another youth advocate was elected to represent Dumaguete.
Children Help Shape ASEAN Policy
On May 21-22, 2025, TdH NL hosted the ASEAN Children’s Consultation in Bangkok, bringing together children from Cambodia, Lao PDR, the Philippines, and Thailand. The consultation aimed to empower young people to meaningfully contribute to the Post-2025 ASEAN Roadmap on the Prevention of Child Labour, including the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour, as well as in the preparations for the upcoming participation in the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour.
Insights were gathered through creative activities like designing imaginary “avatars” that reflected real-life stories of exploited children, brainstorming session on the root causes, and a “balloon activity” that mapped stakeholder safety nets. The consultation successfully produced a “Call to Action from Children and Young People from Southeast Asia,” containing key recommendations that directly informed the development of the new roadmap.
A Filipino Voice on the Global Stage
Months later, Dave’s journey progressed to the global stage at the Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, held from February 11 to 13, 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco. During a high-level side event organised by TdH NL, Dave served as the sole child presenter representing Southeast Asia, alongside youth representatives from the United States, Nepal, Kenya, and Ghana. There, Dave shared his advocacy work and formally handed over the “Youth-Led Global Call to Action to End Child Labour,” a comprehensive declaration co-created by young people from different parts of the world. He presented this document to Professor Tomoya Obokata, then the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, who received it and promised to champion the cause.
Continuing to Make an Impact
Recently, Professor Obokata publicly endorsed the youth declaration through a post on his LinkedIn account, urging states and relevant stakeholders to implement the recommendations without delay. Dave later responded in the comments to express his appreciation for Professor Obokata’s continued accountability and updates on the initiative. Although the latter has stepped down from his position, he promised children and young people across the world that the declaration would be formally endorsed to his successor.
Following this transition, the new UN Special Rapporteur, Ms. Katarina Schwarz invited Dave to participate in an Online Global Consultation on Advancing Action on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and Trafficking in Persons last May 26, marking her first initiative in the role. During the consultation, Dave emphasized the role of children and youth in the elimination of forced labour and trafficking, urging stakeholders to include children in all related initiatives. He highlighted the importance of acknowledging non-government organisations (NGOs) as key partners in eliminating forced labour and trafficking, called for solutions to victimisation through the use of technology, and stressed the need to strengthen survivor-centered approaches to address such violence.
Dave also participated in the World Day Against Child Labour Webinar led by Terre des Hommes Netherlands on June 11, where he discussed the issue of child labour within his country’s context and the work he does as an advocate.
Dave continues to be an active advocate, evolving from a local voice in Iloilo into a strong and influential force in the global movement against child labour. He hopes that “A world free of violence will be achieved for, with, and by the children.”
