COTABATO CITY (October 15) — Keeping children out of hazardous work means keeping them in school. The Bangsamoro government is betting on educational assistance to help 20 child labor survivors in the Special Geographic Area (SGA) avoid returning to dangerous jobs.
The Ministry of Labor and Employment (MOLE) distributed P400,000 in cash assistance and school supplies on Oct. 9 to beneficiaries from Old Kaabakan and Kadayangan under its 2026 Bangsamoro Child Labor Sagip Program (BCLSP).
Each child, accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, received P15,000 in cash and P5,000 worth of school bags and learning materials.
The assistance is intended to ease the financial pressures that can push children from disadvantaged families into work that threatens their safety, health and education.
Through its Bureau of Employment Promotion and Welfare (BEPW), MOLE said the program supports the Bangsamoro government’s commitment to protecting children’s rights and ending child labor.
“The Bangsamoro government remains committed to breaking the cycle of underage employment by reinforcing children’s fundamental right to education as the cornerstone of a child labor-free region,” the ministry said.
Old Kaabakan’s municipal leadership also expressed support for programs promoting children’s rights, education and the welfare of underprivileged families.
But a one-time payout cannot, by itself, break the cycle of child labor. When families remain trapped in poverty, children risk being pushed back into hazardous work once the cash assistance runs out.
MOLE, through BEPW, and the local governments of Old Kaabakan and Kadayangan must ensure that the 20 beneficiaries remain in school, are protected from re-exploitation, and receive continuing support where needed. This requires monitoring school attendance, checking for signs of a return to hazardous work, and connecting vulnerable households to social protection and sustainable livelihood programs.
The ministries and local governments must also account for the program’s results: whether the children have stayed in school, whether their exposure to hazardous work has ended, and what further interventions are needed. The real test of the P400,000 investment is not the distribution of cash and school supplies, but whether it helps keep these children out of hazardous work for good.
