The Philippines Children’s Ministries Network: Leading the Way
“It unites the work. It removes duplication. It encourages coordination among ministries and resource sharing for the benefit of children.” - Fe Feronda, Philippine Children’s Ministries Network director, about the value of networks, in a recent interview with Phil Green, our Chief Executive (extracts from this interview can be found below).
The Philippine Children’s Ministries Network (PCMN), which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary, began when the bishop of the Philippines Council of Evangelical Churches heard about Viva’s approach of helping churches and organisations form networks to help more children. Upon “catching the vision,” he convened a meeting that included organisations such as Compassion International and World Vision to introduce something that was, as Fe says, brand new: “Viva played a very crucial role. It modelled what a network is because at that time, there was no Christian network for children in the Philippines. It was unheard of, and we saw that the global Viva network is something that we want to do in the Philippines.”
Deep and wide
And so, PCMN began - and now coordinates eight regional networks with 913 member churches, indicating its wide scope and influence. Due to their size and desire for long-lasting impact, PCMN and its regional networks engage closely with local and national governments to influence law and policy, including participating in the historic ceremonial signing of key child-safety legislation. Their work includes training church leaders on children’s rights, equipping families with the skills needed to raise and care for children, and supporting emergency response efforts. They also prepare children for disaster response, such as Operation Safe, a psychological first aid camp run near an earthquake epicentre in Manay, Davao Oriental, in partnership with local schools and facilitated by Mindanao Children's Ministries Network, a regional network. Read the full story here.
Youth leadership engagement
In everything they do, PCMN emphasises engaging children and youth to ensure they participate fully in activities and issues concerning them. Fe notes that in 1997, when she first became involved in a project related to what was then an emerging practice or movement in child participation, it was considered trailblazing, being the first such nation-wide initiative. This work helped shape the landscape for including children’s voices in decision-making at the highest levels of government, and as Fe puts it, “We believe in their capacity to engage and also their peers to become a positive influence in the lives of children and young people … because they have the right to participate in matters that concern and issues that matter to them.”
Youth advocates against OSEC
An area of particular focus is the prevention of online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC). Youth for Safety (Y4S), which has nine chapters, is an active member of PCMN, and is leading the way in bringing messages of safety to children and youth. In our last Cutting Edge conference, we heard from Faith Bencolado, the Y4S National President, whose powerful testimony was a challenge and encouragement: "As a youth advocate, I see online sexual abuse and exploitation of children as a betrayal of our future … It is also our responsibility as youth, as digital citizens, and as future leaders. Together, let's fight online sexual abuse. Let's protect every child, including those who cannot protect themselves.” Regular training-of-trainers sessions help equip young leaders to step up, speak out, and train others in creating safer spaces for children online.
Listen to Faith and read more about the online safety training run by Youth for Safety, Antipolo City, by clicking the photos below. You can also access the full Cutting Edge sessions on child participation and safety online here.
More children will be rescued
An example of the effectiveness of these youth advocates was recently shared at our 30th April 2026 Online Event. Fe told the story of a Youth for Safety advocate who shared about OSEC with some children in grades three and four: how to report, who to talk to, and who to trust, so that children could (and should) tell their story. One girl, aged 11, went home and told her grandmother, “What that young person lady is talking about is happening to my younger sister.” Tragically, these two young girls were being abused online by a neighbour, without the family’s awareness. When the grandmother went to her church pastor, he connected the family with PCMN, which, in turn, involved International Justice Mission, leading to the rescue of these two girls. “This young peer influencer, this young advocate, was successful in her role. She was used by the Lord in this role, and she was able to help rescue two children in the process. So if many people are working together, children will be saved.”
Global youth participation
PCMN’s reach extends beyond the Philippines. Four Youth for Safety National Officers, alongside Faith, PCMN’s National Youth Coordinator, recently attended a ‘Violence Ends with Us’ Youth Summit. This event brought together 150 youth advocates across the Asia-Pacific region, giving them a platform to share experiences and build a stronger collective voice ahead of the 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children to be hosted in Manila this November 2026. Key issues included online child sexual exploitation and abuse, corporal punishment, child labour, and child marriage. Read the full story here.
More to be done
PCMN is not content with helping the current 913 churches work together for children. Alongside currently supporting two emerging networks, discussions are ongoing to help networks begin in other countries, such as Indonesia. Fe says, “There are emerging issues of children which are very damaging and harmful, like the online sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These are new crimes, and we haven't really scratched the surface on this. I think I find inspiration in people being in groups and collaborating among each other to further the cause of protection of children. So I like to be PCMN to be still engaged on those things even beyond our borders.”
Being part of the Viva network
Viva is grateful to have walked with PCMN throughout the years and values their technical expertise in so many areas. We are glad that we have been able to provide training resources that Fe appreciates, including the Phone Mentoring programme, used during the COVID-19 pandemic: “that was very useful to us during the pandemic, where we reached thousands of children and families, and children are safe from further exploitation because of that programme” (with the impact well documented). Other materials she has appreciated include Understanding God's Heart for Children, the capacity-building Quality Improvement System, and the Network Training Course.
PCMN is one of four networks supported by Viva Denmark, as well as being part of the global Viva Network. The photograph is from a cross-network meeting in Denmark in May 2025.
Viva has greatly benefited from PCMN’s input, including their active contributions to our global online forums and to Cutting Edge, particularly their sharing on the online safety of children. Fe also sees the value of participating in such because “You raised the awareness on this issue, and you helped us, globally, making us visible; our voice visible at the international platform. And this also strengthens our collaboration with each other on how we could best work together on this issue.”
The partnership with PCMN is one which encourages us to continue in our role of bringing networks of churches and organisations together. As we look to the future, one of our focal areas is building the Viva network, creating space for collaboration and learning, so that networks from all around the world can learn from PCMN, as they also learn from others. Fe notes: “With your connection as a global network, you connect us to others within your influence, and also the other networks in Asia, in Latin America, and in Africa. We learn from these exchanges, and I think that is, for me, very valuable that we are exposed to the global practice, the trends in children's work, and also we learn and be connected with people who are working for children. So, for me, it's very important.”