Child-Labor-Free-Barangays

Over 100 barangay chairmen, sangguniang kabataan (SK) officials, and barangay social welfare and development officers from the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon participated in the campaign for 'Child-Labor-Free-Barangays' in the Calabarzon region.

The campaign, spearheaded by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office IV-A, was launched at the Olivares Convention Center in this city on May 19, to minimize if not eradicate the incidence of child labor and illegal recruitment of minors in Southern Tagalog.

DOLE IV-A regional director Alex V. Avila, who was guest of honor and speaker, said that measures designed to prevent and eliminate child labor in the target barangays were undertaken with the full support of the community and their leaders in the region.

Avila said DOLE IVA, through its provincial offices, would actively coordinate with the local government units (LGUs) in formulating provincial, municipal and barangay development plans, ordinances, and resolutions that were essential in preventing and eliminating child labor in their respective communities.

DOLE Cavite Officer Edwin T. Hernandez, said the campaign involved a broad coalition that included local government units, non-government organizations (NGOs), and other stakeholders in all Calabarzon provinces.

Hernandez said the stakeholders would be consulted and involved in planning and implementation, making them the major partners of various communities in the campaign for child-labor-free-barangays.

He cited the difficulty of parents in coping with finances as one of the reasons why their children were compelled to work to help their families..

Hernandez disclosed that DOLE's Integrated Livelihood Program, which includes "Kabuhayan Para sa Magulang ng Batang Manggagawa (KaSaMa)," which is a combination of training for income-generating activities and economic support, could serve an alternative in supporting the schooling of needy children, as well as support from LGUs and various service providers.

To support the DOLE's campaign, Barangay Chairman Bayani G. Jaro Jr. of Barangay 48-A Narra, Cavite City, presented a draft resolution on the protection of children in his area to ensure that the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) shall actively perform their responsibilities.