THE Department of Labor and Employment has profiled close to 8,000 working children In Davao Region,
DOLE 11 has recorded 7,984 working children both profiled and referred in 2019 exceeding the target of 7005.
The province of Davao del Norte topped the region with 2,115. Thw breakdown is as follows: Davao City (1,520), Davao del Norte (2,115), Davao de Oro (1,441), Davao del Sur (1,052), Davao Occidental (1,139), Davao Oriental (717).
The profiling of working children is done in line with the target in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 to reduce cases of child labor by 30 percent..
Results of the 2011 Survey on Children conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority showed an estimated 2.1 million children 5 to 17 years of age in the entire country were engaged in child labor, 97.7 percent of whom were in hazardous child labor, more than half (58.4 percent) of the 2.1 million children engaged in child labor were in agriculture, 34.6 percent in the services sector and 7 percent in the industry group.
The Department of Labor and Employment is the lead agency in the implementation of the Philippine Program Against Child Labor.
In Davao Region, DOLE XI has already implemented the process of withdrawing children from child labor by undertaking the guide on identification, profiling, needs assessment, referral for provision of services and monitoring and reporting.
During the Year End Assessment and Evaluation on Child Labor Profiling at the Eden Nature Park & Resort, Toril, Davao City last January 13-14, 2020, DOLE XI Regional Director Raymundo G. Agravante congratulated the Community Facilitators who did the 2019 Davao Region profiling and said, “The task that is given to you from the profiling up to the provision of services to the child laborers is of critical importance in ensuring that the Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program is implemented consistently and effectively in all jurisdictions. This work would not be possible without all of you. This profiling activity is very crucial in our fight against child labor especially that President Duterte has recently signed Executive Order No. 92 institutionalizing the National Council Against Child Labor. This law will strengthen government efforts for the protection of the children’s rights. Nonetheless, our job will not end here. For 2020, we are given the target of 8,173. And my order to you now is, “You know what to do.” Klaro ba?
Director Agravante said that despite the challenges, DOLE XI will continue in its mission of reducing or eradicating child labor in Davao Region and challenged the Community Facilitators to work as a team and work seriously to meet or surpass the goal of “1 Milyong Batang Malaya. Malayang Maglaro. Malayang Mag-Aral. Malayang Maging Malusog at Malayang Pilipino.” (By Eduardo P. Monreal, LCO-Designate, DOLE XI)
9500 – CFs convene. DOLE XI Community Facilitators (CF) meet to sum up their 2019 profiling on working children in Davao Region.
9506a – Pat on the back. DOLE XI RD Raymundo G. Agravante congratulates the Community Facilitators for surpassing the target of profiling working children and inspired them to gear up for the 2020 target.
