As the international community prepares for the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour in Marrakech this February, the Bangsamoro region is emerging as a beacon of hope. Through a powerful synergy of community-led farming, legislative reform, and flexible education, the area is successfully transitioning children from hazardous work back into the classroom.
The shift is captured in the new documentary film, “Learning Not Labour,” directed by Tu Alid Alfonso. Part of the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Voice of Action series, the film highlights the lived experiences of children in Maguindanao del Sur, who once spent their days scavenging for plastics in toxic dumpsites or toiling in agricultural fields from dawn until dusk.
A central pillar of this transformation is the ILO Japan ARISE Project (Achieving Reduction of Child Labour in Support of Education). By introducing sustainable livelihoods—such as mushroom farming in Barangay Looy, South Upi—the project addresses the root cause of child labour: poverty.
“These stories show policy and community interventions creatively uniting to reclaim childhoods,” says Director Tu Alid Alfonso. “Bangsamoro is leading the way to Marrakech by proving that when families have stable incomes, children can return to being children.”
For many youth in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), decades of conflict and poverty created a massive gap in formal schooling. The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is now bridging that gap. By passing Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) exams, former child labourers are re-entering the academic track, moving from elementary levels to junior and senior high school.
The Philippines has seen a significant decline in child labour, dropping from 828,000 in 2022 to 509,000 in 2024. This progress is supported by robust regional frameworks, including:
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The Bangsamoro Labour and Employment Code (BLEC): Establishing minimum employment ages, skills training, and aid for out-of-school youth.
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SCREAM Program: Utilizing education, arts, and media to empower youth to identify and challenge child labour within their own communities.
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Local Action: In Cotabato City, initiatives led by Councilor Shalimar Candao have prioritized relocating families away from hazardous dump sites to safe housing.
The successes in Bangsamoro will be showcased at the 6th Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labour, scheduled for 11-13 February 2026 in Marrakech, Morocco. The region’s model—combining sustainable agriculture, flexible education, and the BLEC safeguards—serves as a blueprint for other conflict-affected and resource-limited areas worldwide.
“We are creating a region where children learn, play, and dream,” officials stated. “The momentum is clear: we are moving from dumpsites to dreams.”
