Child Alert Mindanao envisions a society that protects children. Towards this vision, the organisation influences local communities to establish appropriate structures and mechanisms to protect their children for abuse and exploitation.

Currently, its main activities include a community-based anti-child trafficking campaign in 2 municipalities and 2 cities in the province of Davao Del Norte; Prevention of child abuse and exploitation in 5 thickly populated barangays in Davao City; an anti-gender-based violence against women and children in 2 municipalities of Davao Oriental; a disaster risk reduction and management project in 4 barangays of Cateel, Davao Oriental; and an educational assistance programme for poor and deserving children and young people in the work areas of Child Alert.

In 2012, Child Alert Mindanao, Kaugmaon, and Talikala agreed to form the ACT for Children Alliance to respond to issues and concerns affecting the children in Davao City. Amaya Lay In Mindanao, the Adolescent Health Advocates, and Lawig Bubai, added to the number of alliance members later on. The alliance wants to have one strong voice of child-focused NGOs especially on issues and policy statements of the government that seem to undermine the rights and dignity of children and promote further exclusion of poor children. One of the major accomplishment of the alliance a year after, was the decision of the members to federate the different child and youth organisations organised by the 6 member organisations of the alliance.

The formation of the child and youth federation led to the conduct of a children’s summit and coming up with position statements on urgent issues on children The federation later signified their intention to be part of the alliance. To solidify the membership, the alliance conducted common study sessions for the different staff of the member organisations.

The project Communities to Protect Children addresses issues affecting children that they themselves find urgent and affirmed by available data and anecdotal narratives. It seeks to empower children and affected communities to end child abuse and exploitation in identified areas in the Davao Region. In particular, it hopes to capacitate communities to address the interrelated problems of domestic violence and physical abuse of children, child sexual abuse, child labour and child prostitution which local governments have failed to consider urgent.

The project builds the individual and collective confidence of marginalised children to assert their rights. It increases the understanding of community residents about children’s rights and the pressing issues curtailing the enjoyment of these rights. While these are being pursued, the project strengthens community structures and build community networks. This is to prevent and respond to incidents of physical and sexual abuse and economic exploitation of children in child labour and child prostitution.

The expected project outcomes are:

• Increased confidence of children and young people to assert their rights to protection against abuse, economic and sexual exploitation.
• Communities improve child rearing practices and increased role in responding to and prevention of abuse, and sexual and economic exploitation of children.
• Improved barangay prevention and response mechanisms to issues of abuse, sexual and labour exploitation of children.
• Enhanced Capability of the Alliance to implement the project.