Friday, October 06, 2006 CCCI, Ecop launch search for child-friendly firms
THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is now accepting applicants and nominees for the child labor-free and child-friendly firms.
This is in support of the “Promoting a Child Labor-Free and Child-Friendly Workplace as a Corporate Social Responsibility” program initiated by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (Ecop), in cooperation with the International Labor Organization.
The Child-Friendly Firm Award documents and recognizes innovative efforts and practices of business enterprises towards the Child-Friendly Movement.
The project is also implemented to create awareness, advocate for diverging issues on child labor and showcase the best practices of child-friendly firms.
Culture
A child-friendly firm is any business enterprise that creates, maintains and sustains culture that is friendly to the children (directly and indirectly) affected by its business activities.
Examples
Ecop established a Child Labor-Free and Child-Friendly Recognition Program to highlight the many examples adopted by businesses, through corporate policies and concrete programs, that uphold the rights of children, protect their interests and promote their welfare.
Through the program, companies are encouraged to apply their policies and practices to their supply chain especially in the informal sector, where conditions are less regulated.
CCCI is inviting the public to nominate businesses and organization to the search.
Business establishments from the hotel and resort industries, shipping industries, malls, foundations and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) are encouraged to apply.
Screening
The project is aimed at recognizing businesses that are seriously taking steps to eliminate child labor and other forms of child exploitation.
There are two categories—the Child Labor Free Recognition, which is open to all companies with less than 200 employees and the Child-Friendly Recognition, which is open to business and non-business organizations.
The steering committee of the Child-Friendly Project consists of the chamber’s corporate social responsibility committee, chaired by Nonoy Espeleta and representatives of companies which have been previously recognized as child-friendly firms, like Lexmark International (Philippines) Inc., Friendly Care Foundation Inc., Fairchild Semi-conductor’s Hong Kong Ltd., Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa and Norkis Trading Corp.
Meanwhile, the screening committee consists of representatives from the business, labor, government, media, academe and NGOs. (PR)
