AN INNOVATIVE intervention approach is being implemented in 10 "time bomb provinces" in seven regions of the country with high incidence of child labor practices, said the World Vision Philippines.

The provinces with acute social problems expected to erupt anytime are identified as Bulacan, Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao del Sur, Compostela Valley, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Leyte.

Daphne Culanag, project director of ABK2 Initiative of World Vision, said these intervention approaches are also being implemented in 20 covered barangays in Iloilo, in close coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd).

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These barangays include four in the municipality of Ajuy, five barangays in Dueñas, six in Estancia, five in San Enrique and one in Iloilo City, which is in Calajunan, Mandurriao district.

The approach is focusing on the "little teachers" who will serve as links to the peer mentoring session and help their classmates catch up with school lessons.

A total of 18 little teachers were selected in Estancia and more are being developed in other areas to re-echo the school sessions to those who miss classes.

Irene Bermejo, 14 years old and a second year high school student in Bayas, Estancia, is engage in peer mentoring of Grade VI schoolmates when not doing her "panabo" work at the island's fish landing.

Daughter of an occasional carpenter, Bermejo earns P30 in a four-hour work every Saturday and Sunday and in days when they have no classes by gathering leftover fish from the fishermen's nets. She sold her fish share to local fish driers and gives the money to her mother or keeps some for her school "baon" the next day.

But most of all, Irene finds happiness in assisting the Grade VI pupils with their school work. She shares her knowledge with them.

Crissy de Nalayon, 12 years old and a Grade VI pupil of Punong Pequeño, Dueñas, Iloilo, is a daughter of sugarcane farming couple. With a meager family income and eight mouths to feed, Crissy helps augment the family income doing grass weeding at the sugarcane farm.

But her studies come first and she makes it a point to prioritize school and helps her other siblings catch up with their school lessons by mentoring them.

Culanag said they are using local best practices to help the community, especially the children to go back to school.

World Vision, DepEd, Erda Group and Child Fund Philippines are jointly implementing the Pag-aaral ng Bata para sa Kinabukasan II (ABK2) to bring every Filipino children with ages five to 17 back to school.

The initiatives covered training of public school teachers in target areas in social development skills to increase and expand the relevance of their practice and to be sensitive to the needs of child laborers.

A total of 2,650 children were already identified and assisted, with 2,104 already engaged and 546 are still at risk.

The study showed that 127 children are still at risk in Ajuy, 167 in Dueñas, 61 in Estancia, 135 in San Enrique, and 54 in Iloilo City. Of the number of working children, 1,301 are females and 1,349 are males.