BY: JOSE ROBERT INVENTOR
Due to financial struggles, at just 13 and 15 years old, Ate Naning’s two children are already working.
They often carry heavy sacks of rice and fertilizer or do whatever work their customers require.
At just 12 years old, Jane’s child is already helping in their farm in Barangay Loakan.
According to the International Labour Organization, this qualifies as child labor.
Children in such situations are deprived of their childhood, potential development, and dignity. Worst of all, it poses risks to their physical and mental well-being.
Graphics: Republic Act No. 9231, also known as the Anti-Child Labor Law of 2003
In the Philippines, all forms of the worst child labor practices are prohibited under Republic Act No. 9231.
This includes working in farms, mines, quarries, domestic work, manufacturing, prostitution, and pornography.
In 2023, the PSA recorded an estimated 1.09 million child laborers aged 5 to 17.
More than 12,000 were recorded in Cordillera, though the actual number may be even higher.
To tackle this issue, an Information and Service Caravan on Child Labor Prevention and Elimination was launched in Baguio City.
Through this program, child laborers’ parents received opportunities to improve their livelihoods, so their children wouldn’t have to work at a young age.
DOLE, in partnership with other agencies, provided ₱30,000 worth of livelihood projects to 54 parents of child laborers.
With the oven, condensed milk, and other baking supplies they received, Naning’s family can now start a small baking business.
This is just the beginning of the campaign against child labor. Authorities will continue reaching remote areas in Cordillera to free more children from the chains of labor.
Because every child has the right to study, play, and live a life free from the dangers of early employment.
