The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) committed to strengthen its efforts to address child labor in the country by implementing various initiatives that seek to benefit child laborers and their families.
The DSWD said it is one with the Duterte government’s quest to end child labor in the country and help ensure the full-blown implementation of Republic Act No. 9231 or the Anti-Child Labor Law.
“The Department has started the nationwide implementation of the Strategic Help Desks for Information, Education, Livelihood and other Developmental Interventions (SHIELD) against child labor in July this year to strengthen its programs and services in addressing child labor-related concerns at the local level,” it said in a statement.
Through the SHIELD program, the DSWD intends to identify child laborers in the community and provide them and their families with an improved access to appropriate services.
The DSWD likewise allocated funding to assist 100 child laborers per region under the SHIELD program.
Under the program, awareness and capacities of child laborers and that of their families, and duty-bearers are increased in addressing child labor.
The Social Welfare department also cited that it signed in July this year a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the World Vision Development Foundation Inc. for the implementation of Project Against Child Exploitation or Project ACE, a three-year child welfare protection project in Northern Mindanao and Metro Manila.
The signing of the MOA aims to “further strengthen the enforcement of the legal framework pertaining to worst form of child labor, including online sexual exploitation and abuse of children and violations of acceptable conditions of work.”
Project ACE aims to improve services for the victims and survivors of child labor.
The DSWD also cited that the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) developed a Module on Child Labor in collaboration with the International Labour Organization.
“Through the program’s Family Development Sessions (FDS), the module can reach out to parents and inform them about child labor, its negative effects on their children and their families’ future, and how they can end this problem in their own homes and communities,” it said.
“This initiative aims to start changing the mindset of parents so that they can be part of attaining a community free from child labor concerns.”
The DSWD led the Technical Working Group for social service delivery of the Philippine Plan of Action Against Child Labor, as part of its commitment to the government’s convergence effort to end child labor.