DILG chief shows commitment to end “Child Labor” in Agusan del Norte

Monday 30th of July 2012

BUTUAN CITY, Agusan del Norte, July 30 (PIA) -- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG-13) Director Lilibeth A. Famacion has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to signify her firm commitment in putting an end to child labor activities, particularly in the province of Agusan del Norte in convergence with other regional line agencies (RLAs) in Caraga Region.

The MOA signing is an offshoot of the reported incident of child laborers in Brgy. Bagang, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte labeled as “Batang Kalabaw” characterized by a child or children who pulls or drags cut logs to a designated place where it is hauled or loaded to a truck.

The cut logs are dragged or pulled by strapping the end of a rope around the body of the child with the other end of the rope strapped around the log, a worse form of child labor.

Ten identified “Batang Kalabaws” in Brgy. Bagan received educational supplies on July 24 at Brgy. Baleguian, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.

Famacion said that the prevalence of illegal logging in the region, notably in the province of Agusan del Norte where the hasty source of money is the hauling of illegal logs in the area contributes to the occurrence of pervasive child labor.

“Many children as young as seven years old regardless of gender were victims of this cruel activity and this will exacerbate the incidence of illiteracy, malnutrition and exploitation among children,” Famacion said.

“If these children are working and are not given proper education, they will grow-up to be delinquents and contribute to societal decay,” she added.

“Thus, there must be a convergence of initiatives to put a stop to child-labor activities in this region. As part of DILG’s commitment of promoting good governance in local government units (LGUs), the department will focus its support through the formulation of ordinances against child labor in the barangay and the creation and strengthening of the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) with the primary aim to eliminate child laborers in the barangay as provided in the MOA,” Famacion said.

DOLE Undersecretary Lourdes M. Transmonte, Congresswoman Angelica Amante-Matba, International Labor Organization Director Lawrence Jeff Johnson, and Bureau of Workers in Special Concerns Undersecretary Chita de Guzman Celendro attended the MOA signing.

The parties to the MOA were the RLAs headed by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) represented by their Regional Directors; the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Jabonga represented by Mayor Glicerio M. Monton; the Provincial LGU of Agusan del Norte represented by Governor Erlpe John M. Amante; the People’s Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP); and the Caraga Family Welfare Council Inc. (CFWCI) of Caraga represented by Tranquilino O. Cordova.

Meanwhile, the parents of the “batang kalabaw” signed a written agreement, translated into their own dialect, manifesting their commitment to send their children to school and to never again allow their children to engage in hazardous child labor. They received five carabaos from DOLE and another three carabaos from Congresswoman Angelica Amante-Matba on July 24.

Another set of carabaos is set to be released on August, five from Governor Erlpe John M. Amante and two from Congresswoman Angelica Amante-Matba.

The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) and Caraga Family Welfare Council, Inc. (CFWCI) each released P5,000 to the children as educational assistance. (NCLM/Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa/DILG-13/PIA-Caraga)