DOLE observes World Day vs Child Labor

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole)-Central Luzon is all set for the annual celebration of World Day Against Child Labor on June 11.

This was revealed by Dole public information officer Jerry Borja, who told Sun.Star Pampanga that the regional office, the Bulacan Provincial Field Office represented by Assistant Regional Director Leopoldo De Jesus and the Provincial Committee on Child Labor (PCCL) of Bulacan, hand in hand with SM Baliuag will observe the global event at the mall’s event center with the theme “Go for the Goal: End Child Labor.”

The observance of World Day Against Child Labor, Borja said, will include a mass to be officiated by Rev. Father Ventura Galman of the Sagrada Familia Parish in Baliuag.

Borja added that Bulacan Governor Joselito “Jon Jon” Mendoza and Dole-Central Luzon Regional Director Ernesto Bihis will hand out livelihood assistance of P100,000.00, under the Dole Kabuhayan Program to some 50 mothers of former child laborers of the Gabay ng Barangay sa Pag-unlad, Inc.

This, according to Borja, will be used to purchase meat processing equipment.

The amount is in addition to the P150,000.00 granted late last year under the program .

Also, 25 youth mentor beneficiaries will receive their certificates of completion under Dole’s Kabataan Youth Information Technology (K-ITO) Program.

Borja added that during the celebration, the Provincial Government of Bulacan, World Vision, Inc., Ligas Kooperatiba sa Pagpapaunlad ng Bayan, and the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce will distribute educational packages to 250 former child laborers who are either currently enrolled under the Alternative Learning System of the Department of Education or in other formal schools.

As part of their corporate social responsibility programs, Jollibee Foods Corporation and SM Baliuag will distribute toys and activity books to the beneficiaries.

The observance is a collaborative effort of government agencies, which are members of the Provincial Committee on Child Labor of Bulacan, non-government organizations such as Gabay and the Kaagapay Tungo sa Ganap na Kaunlaran ng Pamayanan ng Pulong Buhangin (Katugon), the academe and various stakeholders.

Borja said the fight against child labor has been going on in the Philippines.

Dole, along with its partners, continuously pursues its campaign of minimizing the incidence of child labor in Central Luzon.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the first World Day against Child Labor in 2002 as a way to highlight the plight of these children. The day, which is observed on June 12, is intended to serve as a catalyst for the growing worldwide movement against child labor as reflected in the huge number of ratifications of ILO Convention No. 182 on the worst forms of child labor and ILO Convention No. 138 on the minimum age for employment.

The World Day against Child Labor provides an opportunity to gain further support of individual governments and that of the ILO social partners, civil society and others, including schools, youth and women’s groups as well as the media, in the campaign against child labor. (Jovi T. De Leon)