Implementation of anti-child labor project starts in Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY – Concentration of working children in Northern Samar are in the abaca, coconut, transportation and quarrying industries in the province.

However, lawyer Forter Puguon, regional director of the Department of Labor and Employment, could not say the exact number of working children now in Northern Samar, saying that the International Labor Organization, in a tie-up with the National Statistics Office, has yet to conduct a survey on child labor in the province this year.

Puguon said Monday that the identification of some areas where child labor is visible and the upcoming survey on child labor were among those discussed during a three-day workshop on child labor held July 26-28 in Catarman, Northern Samar and participated in by DOLE, International Labor Organization, provincial government and some NGOs.

He added that on July 29, they presented the workshop output to Northern Samar Gov. Paul Daza, who is very supportive of the anti-child labor project.

According to Puguon, the governor has even proposed that since the province is giving out some funds to the barangays, to make adherence to the anti-child labor program a condition for the release of funds to the barangays.

He added that the governor and workshop participants also signed a call to action to eliminate child labor.

Child labor as defined by RA 9231, or the Child Labor Act, refers to the use of children in slavery including armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, illegal activities including production and trafficking of drugs, and work that is hazardous to the health, safety, or morals of children.

The workshop was the first major step made in Northern Samar on this joint project of the Philippines and the ILO that seeks to reduce the worst forms of child labor by as much as 75 percent in 2015.

According to Puguon, also tackled during the workshop was the creation of a provincial committee on child labor that would be placed under the existing Northern Samar council for the welfare of children headed by Gov. Paul Daza.

Patria Bigcas, DOLE provincial director, would head the provincial committee on child labor.

He said they are now coordinating with the draft team who would be drafting the executive order formally creating the committee on child labor and the proposed  resolution of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan declaring Northern Samar a child labor-free province by 2015.

Among those who also attended the workshop were Jesus Macasil, ILO program manager; Lito Manabat of DOLE central office’s Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns; Romy Cardinas, head of the provincial planning and development office; Virgilio Doroja, DOLE-8 focal person on child labor.

Aside from Northern Samar,  a similar anti-child labor project is also being implemented in the provinces of Masbate, Bukidnon and Quezon. (VEN LABRO)