THE skills training on basic pastry making for parents of profiled child laborers in Malita, Davao Occidental, highlighted the role of economic empowerment for women in preventing abuse and strengthening family resilience.
While learning the knowledge and practical skills on pastry making, the parents, mostly women, were also made aware of the salient features of the Anti-Violence Against Women and their Children (VAWC) Act of 2004.
The Department of Labor and Employment-Davao Occidental Field Office (Dole-DavOcc) spearheaded the basic pastry-making training at the Food Tech Processing Building in Barangay Fishing Village, Malita, on Dec. 2, 2025.
The training was held in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and the Department of Education (DepEd) in Davao Occidental, which was part of the observance of the 18-day Campaign to End Violence Against Women.
Dole-DavOcc Provincial Director Paul V. Cruz said that the training aimed at equipping the parents of child laborers with practical livelihood skills that “can serve as an alternative source of income — ultimately contributing to the withdrawal of their children from hazardous or exploitative work.”
“Our children must be shielded from all forms of abuse and exploitation. It is our collective obligation to ensure that they grow in environments that nurture their dreams, not hinder them,” Cruz stated in his message.
He also underscored the shared duty of government agencies, communities, and stakeholders to uphold and protect the rights and welfare of every child.
“Let us continue working together to free every child from the grips of child labor and guide them toward a safer, brighter, and more hopeful future,” he said.
Tesda-Davao Occidental provincial director Engr. Alfredo V. Panuela Jr. and DepEd master teacher Maria Teresa B. Lugo also delivered messages of support, encouraging participants to take pride in the skills they are acquiring. PIA DAVAO