MANILA, June 13, 2013— A Catholic bishop from Eastern Samar province has appealed to all stakeholders to put an end to child labor.
Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez said child labor is a terrible phenomenon, as he called for an intensified crusade against it.
The 52-year old prelate particularly called on the government and the parents to be interested in the welfare of their children.
He observed that poverty and irresponsibility of some parents are among the leading causes of child labor in the country.
“First, some parents are really irresponsible that’s why children are forced to work. Second, parents do not have enough income… poverty,” Varquez said.
According to him, the government still has a lot to prove in terms of offering better protection for the right of children.
He added that proper implementation of the government’s anti-poverty alleviation programs remains a challenge.
Father Conegundo Garganta of the CBCP’s Commission on Youth is hoping that concerned government agencies would find a concrete measure to end the problem.
“We are hoping that the government would find programs and solution to the problem of child labor,” Garganta said.
Data from the National Statistics Office (NSO) showed that the estimated number of working children aged five to 17 years old is about 5.5 million. (CBCPNews)