MAMBAJAO, Camiguin (PIA)–Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-10 Camiguin Provincial Field Office (Cam PFO) OIC-Chief Arlyn Z. Bael with the team of Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP) and community facilitators awarded P386,170 worth of livelihood assistance to 31 parents of child laborers in the Municipalities of Mahinog, Sagay, Catarman, and Mambajao, here, September 15-17, and 24.
Bael said the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program or the Kabuhayan Program is one of the child labor-related initiatives of the department to prevent and eliminate child labor by improving the economic state of the parents for their children to stay in school, instead of engaging in hazardous work. The parents, siblings, or guardians of DOLE-profiled child laborers are the priority beneficiaries.
The livelihood financial assistance was granted by DOLE-10 through various projects on hog raising, sari-sari store, ala carte vending, purchase of fishing equipment, carpentry and fish vending.
“Wala gyud ko nag-expect nga isa mi sa mahatagan sa DOLE og proyekto. Dako gyud kaayo akong pasalamat kay dako kaayo ni nga tabang sa among panginabuhi ug sa pag-eskwela sa akong mga anak,” hog raising project beneficiary Trinidad Campajeos said.
Campajeos’ two children were profiled on CY 2019 as children engaged in child labor. His son Mark Raynil, at age nine already worked as a caretaker of their neighbor’s small piggery and at the same time as a sales boy to their neighbor’s store, prompting him to drop out of school.
Bael said CLPEP continuously profiles children engaged in child labor, assessing their needs, and referring them to agencies for intervention as a strategic response for prevention and elimination of child labor in the province.
DILP or Kabuhayan Program reduces the vulnerability to risks of the poor, vulnerable and marginalized workers by providing them access to grant assistance for capacity building on livelihood ventures either for individual or group undertakings. (DOLE Camiguin/PIA-10/Camiguin)
