THE DEPARTMENT of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has teamed up with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to bolster the government’s efforts to stop child labor in the country.
In a statement on Tuesday, DoLE said the two agencies launched a helpline for reporting cases of child abuse and child labor.
“The helpline also supports the labor department’s doubled efforts in eradicating child labor in the country, specifically in monitoring profiled child laborers to facilitate their removal from child labor,” the Labor department said.
The agencies also launched an online database that would allow the public to access relevant data about child labor.
DoLE added that it provided P3 million worth of livelihood packages to parents of child laborers during the 2023 World Day Against Child Labor culminating activity on June 23.
The beneficiaries were also given free skill training registration from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA, among other welfare services.
“Let us continue working toward our shared goal of a child-labor-free Philippines,” Labor Undersecretary Benjo Santos M. Benavidez said during a partnership signing event. “We will not stop until all children are truly free from child labor, free to play… and free to become just children.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez