The Department of Labor and Employment strengthened its mechanisms and partnerships to end child labor in the Philippines as it marked the 4th anniversary celebration of the National Council Against Child Labor on 19 October, at Hall Risen Garden, Quezon City.
Department of Labor and Employment Undersecretary for Workers’ Welfare and Protection Cluster Benjo Santos M. Benavidez emphasized in his keynote message that children must be in school, not on the streets and in factories.
“DOLE believes that children should be in school and not on the streets and in workplaces. They should be free, not subjected to forced labor,” Benavidez said.
As the year’s host city, the Local Government Unit of Quezon City provided various services for the profiled child laborers and their parents during the event, including medical services from the QC Health Department and scholarship grants from the QC Youth Development Council. The QC LGU also provided disaster preparedness kits and seedlings for the beneficiaries.
Benavidez assured that the initiative will be replicated across the country, particularly in regions with the highest incidence of child labor.