We thank you for your relentless and dedicated efforts to help pass the Magna Carta for Household Helpers. However, it still faces difficulties in the Senate and a looming deadline before the elections come May 2004. To help spread the spirit of the magna carta, click the poster and sticker icons below to have your own print ready copies at home.

CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES
- October to December 2003

October 13 Start of Halfway House Operations in Matnog with an ongoing research
October 7 Multidisciplinary Seminar on Child Domestic Workers in Davao
October 7, Royal Mandaya Hotel
Among the attendees were members of various civil society government agencies and non-government organization, as well as private employers. The seminar aimed to consolidate regional efforts and discuss pertinent issues.

October 13 to 17 South East Asia Capacity Building Towards Sustainable Advocacy for Child Domestic Workers
October 13 to 17, Traders Hotel Manila
Participants were high-level representatives of governments, employers, workers' groups and non-government organizations from Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Mongolia, Philippines, and Vietnam. Among the objectives of the workshop were to learn from each other's experiences, as well as to draft a plan of action to address the invisible plight of child domestic workers.
October 26 Children's Month Celebration in Davao
November 16 SUMAPI Leadership Training in Davao
November 18 to 19 National Training Seminar on Trafficking Among Shipping Companies
November 18 to 19, Grand Boulevard Hotel
The participants were members of various shipping companies based in Manila and other provinces. The objectives of the seminar were to raise the awareness of shipping companies on issues of trafficking, the urgency of the problem, and existing legal environment and initiatives to combat trafficking. More importantly, the training served as a venue for the formulation of mechanisms for effective, concerted, and coordinated actions in the fight against trafficking.
November 24
to December 2		 ILO-IPEC Evaluation of Good Practices on the Kasambahay Program
November
to December		 Databasing and Listing of Child Domestic Workers (CDWs)
The program used programmatic approaches combining provision of direct services and special events to encourage CDWs to come out. The project entailed both listing and generation of detailed baseline information of CDWs. The purpose of the baseline survey is to identify CDWs who will be targeted for direct services. The data gathering process is also envisioned to generate local support of intermediate partner groups.
November
to December		 Lobbying for the Anti-Child Labor Bill
The Anti-Child Labor Bill is now in its final stage, awaiting the President's signature. It is scheduled for signing this December 23, 2003.
December 2 ILO-IPEC Evaluation Validation Workshop
December 2, University Hotel, U.P. Diliman
Participants were various partners of Visayan Forum. The objective of the workshop was to validate the results of the evaluation conducted by ILO-IPEC.
December 9 Visit of US Ambassador to Port Halfway House
US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone visited the Halfway House at the Port and met VF staff and temporary-sheltered children. A short program aboard Superferry 12 followed wherein the US Ambassador gave a speech and also had the chance to listen to a former trafficked child.
December 12 Anti-Trafficking Day
Visayan Forum joined civil society groups in celebrating "A Day against Child Trafficking" last December 12 at Intramuros, Manila. The celebration's objective was to raise public awareness on the issue of child trafficking and mobilize public support for the prevention and suppression of the growing global menace.
December 17 Batangas Validation Workshop
December 17, Batangas Parish Pastoral Center
The research conducted focuses on Trafficking at the Batangas Port. The participants of the workshop included various partners of VF Batangas. Among them were government agencies, non-governmental organizations and members of the academe. The objectives of the workshop were to validate the results and findings of the research and to propose changes and give recommendations for future studies.

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