BACOLOD City – In observance of the 2025 World Day Against Child Labor, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has joined forces with three non-government organizations (NGOs) to boost its campaign to prevent and eliminate child labor in Negros Occidental.
The partnership was formally sealed during a ceremonial signing held Thursday, June 12, at the 888 GT Mall in this city. DOLE-Western Visayas Director Sixto Rodriguez Jr. led the event, forging collaboration with Ilog Kinderhome Foundation Inc. executive director Gilda Cadagat, Christian Advocates for Justice and Development-Negros (CAJDEN) Inc. executive director Lina Ganaba, and Sugar Industry Foundation Inc. (SIFI) president and chief operating officer Edith Villanueva.
Under the agreement, DOLE and its NGO partners committed to develop and implement community-based capacity-building activities and advocacy campaigns focused on child labor prevention and elimination.
The parties also signed a pledge of commitment “to respect and uphold the rights of the Negrense children to be safe, happy and empowered regardless of their age, culture, gender, language, religious belief, physical and mental disability.”
They likewise vowed to support DOLE’s child labor prevention and elimination program, and other initiatives under the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) Convergence, which promotes a zero-tolerance policy against all forms of child abuse and exploitation.
A highlight of the event was the testimony of Angela Gido, a 20-year-old former child laborer who shared how DOLE and CAJDEN changed the course of her life.
“Because of the referral by CAJDEN, my mother received livelihood assistance from DOLE and opened a sari-sari store with rice retailing. That allowed me to stop working dangerous jobs,” Gido shared.
Angela, now a sophomore Office Administration student at Bacolod City College, earns her allowance by selling handmade flower bouquets. She started working at age 13 in a wholesale store and also sold food to classmates to help support her family. At 17, she represented the Philippines at a global child labor conference in Rwanda and contributed to the crafting of the Kigali Declaration on Child Care and Protection Reform.
“Through the help of CAJDEN and DOLE, many former child laborers have graduated and are now working in corporate, government, tourism, media, and other fields,” she said.
This year’s celebration carries the theme “Sa Bagong Pilipinas: Mag-aaral ang Bata, Hindi Manggagawa” (Under the New Philippines: Children will Study, Not Toil), reinforcing the call for every Filipino child to be given the opportunity to learn and grow in a safe and nurturing environment. (PNA)
