CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–To implement the Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP) of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)-10 Cagayan de Oro Field Office (CDO PFO) and the Project Against Child Exploitation (ACE) of World Vision Development Foundation Inc. (WVDFI), a Child Labor Forum was conducted, February 24, at Chali Beach Resort, Cugman, here.
DOLE-10 CDOFO Provincial Director Emmanuel G. Toledo said the activity aimed at increasing the participants’ awareness of the worst forms of child labor in order to respond to the challenge and end the increasing number of children involved. “This activity is a call to action for all stakeholders to stand up and be a part of creating Cagayan de Oro City a child labor-free city,” Toledo added.
The forum covered various topics such as Child’s Rights and Child Labor 101; Situation on Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) in CDO—its referral pathways, existing LGU programs and ordinances, and SHIELD Program; Child Labor Regional Situation and the DOLE Region 10’s Innovations for 2018-2022; Child Labor Situation in CDO and Interventions; Introduction of Project ACE and its current work in CDO; and Progress Updates on the CDO Joint Statement to End Child Labor.
Discussants were Daphne DG Culanag of World Vision, Honey Tulang, Joan Acraman and Joan Bustos of the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Glenford Labial and Toledo of DOLE-10, Jovie Sorongon of World Vision, and Jonah Domingo of Gugma sa Kabataan.
An action planning session facilitated by Pauline Navarro of World Vision and the DOLE-10 CDOFO was followed by a panel discussion/open forum with representatives from various government agencies.
Culanag, Executive Director of World Vision Development Foundation Inc., acknowledged and appreciated the positive response/attendance from the barangays amid the holiday. She further emphasized that World Vision would continue to engage all the stakeholders and support the initiatives aimed at ending child labor.
With this partnership and collaboration, it is hoped that the worst forms of child labor will be eliminated. This would make Cagayan de Oro City not only a City of Golden Friendship, but also a proactive city that protects children and makes sure their rights are upheld by getting the barangays and other sectors involved.
DOLE is very serious about protecting the rights of children. This includes protecting them from all kinds of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation, discrimination, and other things that hurt their development, especially child labor in its worst forms. CLPEP aims to remove children from child labor, particularly in its worst forms.
Members of the barangay councils for the protection of children in Cagayan de Oro and 80 punong barangays (PBs) attended the forum.There were also people from the Philippine National Police, the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office, the National Economic and Development Authority, DSWD, and CSWD at the event. (DOLE-10/PIA-10)
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