Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) Regional Director Salome Siaton
CEBU CITY, Philippines — In a bid to prevent recurrence of child labor among 34 families in Bogo City, the Department of Labor and Employment in Central Visayas (DOLE-7) has provided individual start-up livelihood projects for the parents.
DOLE-7 Regional Director Salome Siaton, in a statement, said 34 parents of profiled child laborers in Bogo City benefited from the Kabuhayan Para sa Magulang ng Batang Manggagawa (KASAMA).
DOLE-7 has released P680,000 worth of livelihood assistance to the beneficiaries who will soon be engaged in different businesses.
The small businesses are individual start-up livelihood projects with each one getting a P20,000 financial grant from DOLE-7. For individual projects under the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP), beneficiaries could avail of Starter Kits or Negosyo sa Kariton (NegoKart), up to a maximum financial assistance of P20,000 depending on the project requirements.
Some of the beneficiaries would venture into cattle fattening, hog raising, general merchandising, and bakeshop. Others would go into welding, trisikad operation, and candle-making.
“The livelihood assistance provided to beneficiaries is a way of empowering them and making them eventually, self-sufficient. The initiative is hoped to prevent their children from engaging with child labor or from reverting to the worst forms of child labor,” said Siaton.
She said the beneficiaries will receive raw materials and equipment for their respective projects once canvassing and procurement of needed goods are put in place.
“We’d like to commend the Cayang Multi-Purpose Cooperative that served as the DOLE’s accredited co-partner or conduit in the implementation of the beneficiaries’ projects,” Siaton added.
The cooperative would assist not only in the implementation phase but also in monitoring and liquidation of expenses,” she said./elb