DOLE draws up plan vs child labor in Compostela mines

Published by rudy Date posted on October 9, 2010

Labor officials in Mindanao have drawn up an action plan to eliminate child labor – particularly the use of children in mining activities – there.

According to Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 11 office’s plan focuses on the mines of Maragusan in Compostela Valley province.

“The action plan 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,” Baldoz said in an article on the DOLE website.

Reports from DOLE Regional Office 11 showed more than 150 minors are working in the mines of Pamintaran in Maragusan, Compostela Valley, as “packers” or gold ore porters.

The youth workers, aged 14 to 17, carry ore gravel weighing 50 kilos or more from the tunnel entrance to the loading station.

On the way, they negotiate slippery and treacherous mountain trails.

“Some of the youth laborers are also working as ball mills, water porters and even ‘avanteros’ or miners,” the DOLE said.

Many youth workers in the Maragusan mines are from Mandaya, one of the largest indigenous communities in Kagan Valley, which is the most inaccessible and poorest barangay in Davao Oriental.

Labor officials in the region spearheaded profiling and action planning workshops with officials in the local government unit and other stakeholders in Davao.

They sought to formulate activities that would help eliminate youth and child labor in Maragusan.

DOLE-11 Director Jalilo dela Torre said the regional office will provide livelihood assistance and conduct livelihood and skills training for the Mandayas and residents of Marasugan under the Grow Micro program to help improve their living conditions.

He said the 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.

Meanwhile, participants in the action planning workshop suggested the immediate removal of minors in the mining area and the provision of training for the youth of Kagan Valley and Maragusan.

They also recommended infrastructure and value formation for the minors and their families.

The recommendations were presented to Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Compostela Valley and Sangguniang Bayan ng Maragusan for appropriate actions. — LBG, GMANews.TV

July 2025

Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”

Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.

Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar.  Reject Military!

#WearMask #WashHands #Distancing #TakePicturesVideosturesVideos

Time to support & empower survivors. Time to spark a global conversation. Time for #GenerationEquality to #orangetheworld!

July


3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 Ju
ly – International Plastic Bag Free Day
 
5 July –
World Youth Skills Day 
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day 
17 July – World Day for
International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons 


Monthly Observances:

Schools Safety Month

Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month

Weekly Observances:

Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week

 

Daily Observances:

First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines

Categories

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.