DOLE protests report that RP goods made with child labor

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) yesterday protested the inclusion of the Philippines in the United States’ list of countries with goods produced with child labor.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said DOLE does not conform to the criteria and the decision of the US Department of Labor including the Philippines in the list.

“We have our own processes, methodologies, and standards in evaluating the issue of child labor in our country, and this is vastly different from the criteria of the US-DOL,” he explained.

Roque said DOLE already discussed the report with the US Embassy and were told that the listing of particular goods and countries does not indicate that all production of the goods in that country involves forced labor or child labor.

“We were told the inclusion in the list means there is a significant incidence of forced labor or child labor in the production of the goods,” he said.

But Roque said DOLE will look into reports that young children are now employed in the manufacturing of products sold in the US and other countries.

“It may take the DOLE some time to validate this assertion, but we have instructed our regional officers to discuss the report with the industry sectors mentioned with the end in view of getting their concerns so that the Department can work out specific interventions to address these,” Roque said in a statement.

He said DOLE sees the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TPVRA) List of Goods Produced with Child Labor or Forced Labor “as a challenge (rather) than as a judgment” to the government’s efforts against child labor.

He stressed that the Philippine government adheres to the “No to Child Labor” policy, which is being effectively implemented by all agencies of the government, particularly by the DOLE.

“This policy emanates from the Constitution, which explicitly mandates the State to provide special protection to children against all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, and discrimination and other conditions prejudicial to their development.”

Roque said a Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) is already in place at this time.

“While we acknowledge the existence of child labor in the Philippines, we emphasize that our efforts to address the problem has already gone down to the barangay or community level,” he said.

DOLE led in the formulation of the PPACL Strategic Framework for 2007-2015, with the vision of a Child Labor-Free Philippines aside from the enactment of a law providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and giving protection to working children.

“These policies are backed up by programs of the Department, such as the Sagip-Batang Manggagawa, Eliminating Child Labor in the Tobacco Industry, and Project Angel Tree, to name a few. We are even helping parents of child laborers through the KaSaMa Project,” he said. –Mayen Jaymalin (The Philippine Star)