DESPITE being the top region with the total number of children withdrawn from child labor in the country, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole-Davao) said cases of child labor remain alarming.
On May 30, 2023, Dole-Davao said that a total of 19,455 children withdrawn from child labor in the first quarter of 2023 out of 25,077 monitored child laborers in the region from 2018 to 2022– who were engaged in hazardous working conditions in agriculture, mining, domestic labor, and other sectors.
Following the decrease in child labor in the region, Dole-Davao said Davao del Norte has recorded the highest number of withdrawn child laborers with 6,142, followed by Davao City with 3,218 children.
Davao Occidental recorded 3,105 withdrawn child laborers, Davao de Oro with 2,768, Davao del Sur with 2,664, and Davao Oriental recorded 1,558.
The agency said most of these children were exposed to farming, fishing, and domestic work.
Dole-Davao said there indicators of withdrawal from child labor are due to age – these are children who reached 18, through the provision of services and long-term assistance such as livelihood grants for parents, through monitoring under the guidelines of Dole Administrative Order 579-19, and rescue operations like Sagip Batang Manggagawa.
However, the agency clarified that most of the children who have been withdrawn from child labor received services from the agency.
Dole-Davao said "Child labor is an alarming issue that deprives children of their right to education, health, and a safe childhood. Recognizing the urgency to eradicate this problem, Dole-Davao has undertaken a comprehensive strategy aimed at rescuing children from exploitative labor and providing them with opportunities for a brighter future.”
“While the reduction is notable, our work is far from over. Dole-Davao calls upon all sectors of society to join hands and contribute to the cause by reporting any instances of child labor and supporting initiatives that uplift the lives of vulnerable children,” said Regional Director Atty. Randolf C. Pensoy said in his statement released by Dole-Davao.
Dole-Davao said the remaining 5,622 child laborers are being monitored. KSD