For Every Child Domestic Worker, Schoolwork before Housework

On June 11, Friday, the Visayan Forum Foundation, with 1,000 child domestic workers and social partners, will stage a candle light vigil at 6pm. The candle light vigil is the highlight of national and regional campaigns to be participated in by child domestic workers, child labourers, government agencies, partner NGOs, employers' groups, church and faith-based organizations, student organizations, and local governments calling the public's attention to the plight of "modern-day slaves" - the child domestic workers. The candlelight will symbolize our national commitment to make the invisible, ignored, and neglected child domestic workers visible, recognized and protected.

In Manila, the group will converge during an afternoon forum at the San Beda College and will then proceed to Mendiola to stage street drama and other creative actions, culminating with the simultaneous lighting of candles from Mendiola, Batangas, Davao, Bacolod, and other parts of the Philippines. Partners from across Asia are called upon to hold similar vigils to demonstrate international solidarity in our demands for respect for the rights of child domestic workers, particularly on their right to quality education.

The public is encouraged to light a candle in front of their houses in solidarity to the nationwide and worldwide clamor to give child domestic workers a chance to place schoolwork before housework. Employers will be encouraged to light a candle in front of their homes as a symbol of their commitment to recognize the importance of domestic workers and as a commitment to join concerted actions to further the rights of these children.

The vigil is in line with the celebration of the World Day Against Child Labor where the International Labour Organization (ILO) and social partners from around the world will focus on the plight of child domestic workers by launching a groundbreaking report in Geneva and by holding simultaneous mass actions.

In the Philippines, the vigil on June 11 is a timely event that will happen on the eve of the annual Independence Day celebration. It will also come at a time when the country just ended a national election and is now preparing for a new phase in its government history.