MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said it has so far profiled 85,582 child workers across the country in an effort to push for more inclusive and preventive interventions in stopping child labor.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said 18,651 of the 85,582 child laborers that were profiled in 16 regions have been referred to appropriate agencies which will give them and their families assistance.
It was in April 2018 when DOLE launched a nationwide profiling of child laborers and their families in order to better assess their needs so that appropriate interventions could be given.
READ: DOLE vows to boost efforts to curb number of child laborers
“Profiling of the child laborers is our strategic way of withdrawing children from child labor,” Bello said in a statement on Friday.
“We must first assess their needs and refer these children and their families to appropriate agencies and organizations for the provision of necessary assistance to remove them from child labor,” he further explained.
Parents of the child laborers also received assistance that would enable their families to start their livelihood, which would serve as a preventive measure against child labor.
DOLE also partnered with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Industrial Tripartite Councils to provide skills training to former child laborers to help them land decent employment.
“Eliminating child labor calls for intensified convergence efforts from various government agencies, non-government organizations, local government units, and the communities,” Bello said.
“We must work together in advocating for a child-labor free Philippines by understanding the problem that puts our children at harm,” he added.
The government targets to reduce the cases of child labor by 30 percent or 630,000 from the estimated 2.1 million child laborers in the country pursuant to the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)