Dole aims to rescue 3 of 4 child laborers by 2016

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Monday reiterated its commitment to rescue most, if not all, of the 2.9 million child laborers in the country by the end of Aquino administration's term in 2016.

“By 2016, we aim to have freed at least 75 percent (or 893,000) of the 2.9 million child laborers in the country. We intend to vigorously implement H.E.L.P. M.E. through stronger cooperation among partners to ensure that this target is achieved,” said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

H.E.L.P stands for health, education, livelihood and prevention, protection, and prosecution, while M.E. is short for monitoring and evaluation.

She said the project has a proposed budget of P9 billion to be implemented in four years or from 2013 to 2016.

Citing department data, Baldoz said close to 15,000 barangays still have child laborers in hazardous situation.

This includes 9,435 barangays in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Bicol, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Soccksargen, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) that are in Level 1, or those that have child laborers in hazardous situation, but where initiatives have not yet been undertaken.

There are also 5,545 barangays nationwide belonging to Level 2, where there is also presence of child laborers in hazardous situation but interventions have been undertaken and are continuing.

On the other hand, there are already 588 barangays found in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, and the National Capital Region that are in Level 3, where child labor initiatives have been undertaken, need to be sustained, and continuously monitored. (HDT/Sunnex)