Child Labor Challenges Among Davao Region Families in Informal Sector
Children from families in the informal sector in the Davao Region remain highly vulnerable to child labor, according to reports from ongoing regional assessments. Many households rely on low-income activities such as farming, fishing, and street vending. These conditions often force children into work at an early age, which disrupts their education and overall well-being.
Local authorities emphasize that understanding the situation of families in the informal sector is crucial to addressing this issue. These families typically earn below the minimum wage, making it difficult to provide for their children without them contributing through labor.
Profiling Efforts to Address Child Labor Risks
As part of efforts to combat child labor, a comprehensive profiling initiative is underway. This initiative aims to identify affected children, support their return to school, and offer livelihood assistance to their families. In Davao Oriental, officials are compiling detailed data to better target interventions such as educational support and income-generating programs.
“Profiling helps us understand the conditions child laborers face and enables us to implement more responsive measures to protect them,” shared a provincial official involved in the program. These efforts encourage collaboration with local government units and partner organizations to maintain ongoing support for vulnerable children and their families.
Progress and Ongoing Support
As of mid-May, at least 594 child laborers in the region have been given assistance or referred to appropriate agencies for further help. This progress reflects a coordinated approach to tackling child labor by addressing the root causes found in families working within the informal sector.
Sustained attention to this issue is essential, given the economic hardships these families face daily. By combining data-driven strategies and community support, stakeholders hope to gradually reduce the number of children forced into labor and improve their chances for a better future.
For more news and updates on child labor in the Davao Region, visit Filipinokami.com.