CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment in Northern Mindanao (DOLE-10) on Thursday said that the region still has at least 20 thousand child laborers.
DOLE Region 10 Director Albert Gutib said that child labor is still rampant in the region despite efforts of stopping the illegal use of children in the work force.
Child labor refers to children 5 to 17 years of age engaged in hazardous work identified in the DOLE Administrative Order No. 149 or long working hours only, and as a result are disadvantaged educationally and socially. it is called child labor when it is forced.
Based on the data released by the Philippine Statistic Authority in December 15, 2021 showed that thirteen (13) in every 100 child laborers were in Northern Mindanao.
“Among the 17 regions, Northern Mindanao had the largest share of the country’s child laborers. For every 100 child laborers in the country in 2020, 13 (13.1%) were from Northern Mindanao, followed by Bicol Region with around 9 (9.2%) child laborers. Cordillera Administrative Region had the lowest share of child laborers at 1.6 percent followed by NCR at 1.9 percent and Davao Region at 2.2 percent in 2020,” said PSA undersecretary Dennis Mapa, National Statistician and Civil Registrar General.
Government interventions in Northenn Mindanao was able to bring down to 13.1 percent from 22.1 percent of child laborers in 2015 survey.
“Our deparment has 20 community facilatators, and more than 100 enumarators to profile these child laborers and what industry they are in,” Gutib said.
Poverty is the number one driving force of child labor with the agricultre industry is the highest employer of child laborers with Bukidnon province topping the list followed by Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Occidental.”We are profiling these child laborers, so we can have interventions, not only from DOLE but also interventions and assistance from other national agencies, local government units and private organizations,” Gutib said.
Gutib said that previous interventions includes livelihood assistance, TESDA skills development and information on how to further prevent child labor practices
