Davao gov’t agencies unite vs child labor

DAVAO CITY – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) together with other government line agencies, recently forged a unified move to fight child labor in Davao region.

DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz led the signing of the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) of the agency and its partner government agencies that will further boost the implementation of the Help Me Convergence Program (HMCP) that will address child labor cases in the area.

Joining the DOLE’s crusade are the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

According to its concept, the HMCP adopts the community-based approach and focused, converged and synchronized strategies in providing social services such as food, clothing, and education assistance among others.

In her message, Baldoz said that the convergence and initiatives of the government agencies in Davao region was a big step to remove child laborers from hazardous and exploitative forms of work.

These children who are into forced labor are mostly seen toiling as mining and quarry workers, deep sea fishers, household helps, farm workers, and even as commercial sex workers.

“We must save these children from these kinds of work and provide them health and education. Let’s help their parents,” Baldoz said.

The DOLE-11 reported that the HMCP was first implemented in the region in 2013 and has then helped around 332 parents of child laborers.

Among the support that the agency extended to these parents were in the form of livelihood assistance amounting to more than R2 million, the DOLE-11 added.