THE Department of Labor and Employment-Davao Region (DOLE-Davao) issued a temporary notice of closure to an establishment in Davao de Oro for engaging in child labor, wherein a minor employee's fingers were cut off while working in the company.
DOLE-Davao Regional Director Randolf Pensoy said in a report by the Philippine Information Agency that they ordered the closure of Comval Wood Core Industry (CWCI) located in Barangay Ngan, Compostela.
Pensoy said their inspectors have visited and verified a report that the company is employing children aged 15 to 16 in a hazardous environment.
He also said their office received a report of a minor employee whose fingers were cut off while working in the company.
DOLE-Davao Assistant Regional Director Jason Balais told SunStar Davao in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon, April 27, that the notice of closure was issued on April 20 wherein the company violated Republic Act 9231 or the "Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act" also known as the "Child Labor Law." This is also in violation of Section 21 chapter VIII of DOLE Department Order 65-04.
Balais said nine children were discovered helping their parents in performing various jobs in plywood production, which prompted their office to issue the closure order.
"Some minors there were helping, apparently, their parents for them to be able to produce more," the DOLE official said.
Balais said CWCI failed to comply with the required working children permit from DOLE, resulting in the issuance of the closure.
The order, however, was lifted on Wednesday afternoon after the establishment submitted some required documents for them to resume their operation.
Meanwhile, Balais said they will also look into helping the family of the children in the financial aspect by providing livelihood support.
"The things that we are going to look at is how we can help in the financial augmentation of their parents aron dili na sila mapugos ang children (so the children won’t be forced) to help their parents, and they could go back to school," he said.
The labor official said children from age 15 to 17 can work, provided that they will not be working in a hazardous environment.
He said this is their first case of child labor violation after inspecting more than 1,000 establishments in the region between latter part of February and March this year.
Balais also emphasized their reminder to all establishments to comply with the provision of RA 9231.
“We are serrious, we have committed to the International Labor Organization, even the national government in the implementation of the RA 9231, by eliminating all worse form of child labor,” he said.
The local government of Compostela had immediately distributed food packs to the affected families.
SunStar Davao is still trying to reach out to CWCI and the Compostela local government for their side.