MANILA: The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Wednesday reaffirmed its commitment to protect the welfare and well-being of the country’s labor force and to combat child labor.

‘Labor Day not only signifies the contributions of workers but also underscores our collective responsibility to safeguard the rights and welfare of our workforce and the children involved in labor,’ Assistant Secretary for Disaster Response Management Group and spokesperson Irene Dumlao said.

She said the celebration also serves as a reminder of the value and rights of every worker, including the children engaged in labor.

She said the DSWD stands at the forefront of the battle against child labor, recognizing that every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, learn, and play in a safe and nurturing environment.

Through its Strategic Help Desks for Information, Education, Livelihood, and Other Developmental Interventions or SHIELD Against Child Labor, the DSWD has served some 10,192 child laborers from 2021 t
o 2023.

‘Through the local help desk established under the program, support services from various agencies for child laborers and their families are readily available to ensure immediate and accessible developmental intervention at the ground,’ the DSWD spokesperson noted.

Data showed that some 1,986 SHIELD beneficiaries were already assessed to be freed from any form of child labor and have been integrated into their families and communities.

Dumlao said the identified child laborers were provided with immediate interventions at the community level including the provision of services from the DSWD such as educational assistance, cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP), and case management from the DSWD and case referrals to other agencies.

Source: Philippines News Agency