“I’m proud of myself because I was able to cope with my illness. I’m still here, I’m still productive, and now, I’m even more active and participative. Even if it gets tiring sometimes, I don’t want to stop working with children and youth.”
Such is the drive and selfless dedication of Via Bianca Devila, 21, a youth leader from Midsayap, Cotabato Province in the southern Philippines. Bianca, as she is called by her family and friends, was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disease, when she was 17 years old. She undergoes treatment and takes the necessary precautions to ease her symptoms, but this hasn’t put a damper on the work she has done with children and youth since she was in grade school. She adds, “I’m not the only one with problems. The youth I serve also have problems.”
Bianca’s journey as an active youth leader in her community started when she was in day care and became a beneficiary of Ha Uman Association, Inc. In Grade 6, she became the president of Ha Uman Children’s Association and was selected as a child representative to the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) of Barangay Kiwanan in Midsayap.
She went on to become a child representative to the Regional Juvenile Justice for the Welfare of Children (RJJWC) in Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN), where they handled cases of children at risk (CAR) and children in conflict with the law (CICL), and then a child representative to the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Children Basic Sector, where they advocated against early pregnancy, child labor, and child abuse and lobbied at the Senate for the passage of the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) Law.
She is also a facilitator in child development sessions in her barangay, where she conducts activities and lectures about topics such as children’s rights, disaster preparedness, mental health, and psychological first aid. These sessions serve as a venue for the participants to share concerns about OSAEC, HIV, and other sensitive issues confidentially and without judgment. In these sessions, she also emphasizes to the children and youth the importance of developing their skills and having plans for the future. Using herself as an example, she recounts to them how she trained in photography, video editing, and makeup through Ha Uman and that these became a source of income for her.
Bianca’s motivation lies in her belief that participation is the key for children and youth to be empowered. It gives them a voice and a sense of belonging. By building their awareness, they can assert their rights and address or prevent issues such as early pregnancy, child labor, and bullying. She wants to guide them in this direction as they grow up so that they will become the next leaders who will lay the foundation for a just and productive society.
Bianca is now in college, pursuing a degree in Social Work. She says it’s always been her dream. She shared, “I’ve been wanting to study this course since I was in grade school. I will be very happy if I graduate and become a social worker serving in several communities, especially in remote areas, and enjoying myself while helping people in need. That’s what I imagine myself doing.” She also wants to create new facilitators who will continue the advocacies she started. “I want to make sure there will be future leaders who will protect our children and youth.”
Knowing that she is not alone keeps Bianca going despite all the difficulties. “I vow to be strong, stay positive, and not give up, because my loved ones, Ha Uman, and ChildFund are always here to support me.”
