Camarines Norte Beefs Up Anti-child Labor Program

Daet, Camarines Norte (27 August) -- The Provincial Sagip Batang Mangagawa-Quick Action Team (SBM-QAT) has been recently reactivated and will intensify its anti-child labor program, said a provincial official.

In a meeting held here Tuesday (August 21), Camarines Norte Provincial Field Officer Ruben Romanillos of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said that they will reactivate the SBM-QAT to fully support the programs and projects of the Provincial Council for the Welfare of Children (PCWC).

He said that the move is also in line with the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) strategic framework for 2007-2015 vision to make this country a child labor free.

Romanillos explained that SBM-QAT has started in 2004 and since then a total of 904 minors have been rescued and administrative cases were filed concerning violation of labor standards by requiring the erring employers to restitute the unpaid monetary claims due to the child victims.

He said that most of the rescued child laborers have been reintegrated with their respective families and communities with the help of Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and some were provided with educational assistance, skills training and livelihood assistance.

He cited that since the passage of RA 9231 in 2003, 15 establishments mostly KTV bars have been permanently closed by the DOLE for employing minors in lewd or obscene shows and criminal cases have been filed.

Romanillos said that their office project "Angel Tree" launched in 2006 provided food, clothes, shoes, bags, and school supplies and scholarships/educational assistance to child laborers and livelihood assistance to their parents.

The DOLE also has Kabuhayan para sa Magulang ng Batang Manggawa (KaSaMa Project) launched in 2008 which aims to contribute to the prevention and elimination of child laborers access to decent livelihood opportunities for enhanced income.

The KaSaMa Project was able to provide some 4 million livelihood assistance to 296 parents of child laborers for the first semester of 2009, he added.

On the other hand, Purita Briñas CAO IV of the CAO, provincial government also discussed the RA 9208, the anti-trafficking in persons act and RA 9231 "An act providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and affording stronger protection for the working child amending RA 7610" to stakeholders for their use in implementation of anti-child labor program especially during rescue operations. (PIA CamNorte)