150 kids in dangerous mining work in Compostela Valley—DoLE

MANILA, Philippines—More than 150 minors, mostly from the indigenous community of Mandaya in Davao Oriental, are involved in dangerous mining work in Compostela Valley, the Department of Labor and Employment said.

These children—age 14 to 17 years old from Kagan Valley, the most inaccessible and poorest villages in Davao Oriental—work mostly as “packers” or gold ore porters. They carry ore gravel weighing 50 kilos or more from the tunnel entrance to the loading station, negotiating slippery and treacherous mountain trails in the process.

Others work as water porters and even as actual miners or “avanteros.”

Mandaya is one of the largest indigenous communities in Region 11.

This profile was the initial action made by the labor department’s Regional Office-11 in Davao before it proceeded to work with local government officials and other stakeholders in formulating activities that would help these minors out of the mines of Pamintaran in Maragusan, Compostela Valley.

In his report to Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, DoLE-Regional Office 11 Director Jalilo dela Torre said the Mandayas and residents of Marasugan will be given livelihood assistance, as well as livelihood and skills training, under the Grow Micro program to help improve their living conditions.

He said selected beneficiaries from the Mandaya and Marasugan communities will be provided with training services, business mentoring and advisory, referral for micro-credit assistance, social protection, and marketing linkages.

Dela Torre said participants in the action planning workshop also wanted the minors immediately removed from the mining area and instead provided—together with other youth of Kagan Valley and Maragusan and their families—training and value formation.

The recommendations from the workshop were presented to Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Compostela Valley and Sangguniang Bayan ng Maragusan for implementation.

Labor chief Baldoz said the action plan, which aims to eliminate child labor in the mines of Maragusan in Compostela Valley, “underscores the DoLE’s efforts to accomplish the 22-point labor and employment agenda of President Benigno S. Aquino III which stresses the protection of the rights of workers including children who are forced to work in hazardous conditions.” –Veronica Uy, INQUIRER.net