The Cordillera office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE-CAR) successfully profiled some 2,799 child laborers in the different parts of the region as part of the agency’s campaign to abate child labor.
DOLE-CAR regional director Nathaniel Lacambra disclosed that Benguet registered the highest number of profiled child laborers with 611 followed by Apayao with 473, Ifugao – 454, Kalinga – 433, Abra – 431 and Mountain Province – 397.
In Benguet, 5 of the 31 municipalities recorded child laborers with Tuba having the highest number with 288 followed by Atok with 134, Itogon – 89, Tublay – 87, Sablan – 5 while Baguio City had only 8 profiled child laborers.
Six out of the seven towns in Apayao were said to have child laborers with the capital town of Luna recording the highest number of child laborers with 212 followed by Conner with 158, Kabugao – 73, Sta. Marcela – 6 and Calanasan – 5.
Nine of the 11 towns of Ifugao registered child laborers with Alfonso Lista recording the highest number of child laborers with 129 followed by Lamut with 98, Kiangan – 82, Hingyon – 37, Lagawe- 36, Banaue – 30, Asipulo – 25, Mayoyao – 12 and Aguinaldo – 5.
In Kalinga, the component Tabuk City emerged with the highest number of child laborers with 192 followed by Tanudan with 128 and Lubuagan with 113.
Nine out of the 27 towns of Abra had documented child laborers with Luba having the highest number of child laborers with 116 followed by Dolores with 79, Tubo – 73, Langiden – 47, Bucay – 45, San Juan – 39, Licuan-Baay – 20, Malibcong – 8 and Pidigan – 4.
Nine out of the 10 towns of Mountain Province registered child laborers with Paracelis having the highest number of child laborers with 239, followed by Sadanga with 34, Besao – 28, Tadian – 22, Natonin – 19, Barlig and Sagada with 16 each, Bontoc – 15 and Sabangan -8.
Lacambra underscored that the agency will be providing livelihood assistance to the parents of the profiled child laborers to ensure that they will be able to have additional sources of income to sustain the living condition of their families instead of compelling their children to work at a very tender age and earn income for their families.
The DOLE-CAR official pointed out that children aged 5 to 17 should be in school attending classes and pursuing their studies for them to be able to acquire a higher level of education instead of working to earn income to sustain their studies and provide additional sources of income for their families in the different parts of the region.
Earlier, the labor department celebrated the World Day Against Child labor at the SM City Baguio where various activities such as storytelling, counseling, among others, had been conducted for some 29 children for them to be aware of their rights and privileges.
Lacambra said that the profiling of child laborers in the different parts of the region will continue until such time that the agency shall have ensured that the initially profiled child labors are already in school and that appropriate assistance for livelihoods had already been extended to their parents for them to able the schooling of their children.
