The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office Caraga, through the Sectoral Unit and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur (SDS), signs Memorandum of Agreement and launches the Strategic Helpdesks for Information, Education, Livelihood and other Developmental Interventions (SHIELD) Against Child Labor Program, today, December 21, 2023.

The MOA signing ceremony was executed by Hinatuan municipal mayor Hon. Shem Garay, DSWD Field Office Caraga Sectoral Unit Head Elsa Jamora and Hinatuan MSWDO Sunrise Tumanda.

In his speech, Mayor Garay expressed gratitude to National Government Agencies (NGAs) present and underscores the unending delivery of services of DSWD Field Office Caraga to the municipality especially after a series of natural disaster occurrences in Hinatuan.

 

 

 

 

“Ma-linog, ma-bagyo, walay undang atong pag-hatag og serbisyo, ug karon, padayon na pagpahunong sa Child Labor sa Hinatuan (Whether it be earthquakes or typhoons, we will not stop providing services, and now, we will continue to stop Child Labor in Hinatuan), Mayor Garay said.

On the other hand, Jamora takes the opportunity to further explain the purpose of SHIELD to the parents of former child laborers present.

 

“Atong klarohon kay basin ang mga bata nga naminaw diri muingon na ‘uy mama ayaw ko sugua kay ma priso ka’ dili pod na siya mao. Ug basin pag uli ninyo sa inyong mga balay makaingon mo nga ngano pati ang pag dumala sa akong anak hilabtan pa man sa gobyerno (Let’s make it clear because maybe the children listening here will say that ‘Mom you’re not allowed to make me work or you’ll go to jail’ that’s not what this means. And maybe when you go back to your houses you’ll ask why is the government meddling with your parenting?),” Jamora said gathering laughter from the beneficiaries.

On a serious note, Jamora emphasizes that Anti Child Labor laws exist to ensure that children are not robbed of their rights to go to school and play—the very core of being a kid.

 

“Ang buot namong ipasabot nga kita nanumpa inubanan ang gobyerno nga ang mga kabataan atong tagaan mas maayong kinabuhi kaysa sa ato ug dili na nato makab-ot kung dili nato mahatag ang ilang mga katungod ug usa na ana ang pagpaskwela. Mao nay isa sa atong giprotektahan—walay problema kung ato silang suguon pero atong siguradoon nga dili mahilabtan ang ilang oras sa pag skwela ug ang ilang katungod sa pag dula, ilang katungod sa pagkabata (What we mean is that we have all sworn together with the government that we will give the children a better life than what we had and we could not achieve it if we do not give them their rights and that includes their right to education. That’s one of the things we are protecting—there’s no problem if we ask them to help us work but we should make sure that their time for education and their right to play—their right to experience childhood are not affected),” Jamora added.

Furthermore, DSWD extended Educational Assistance worth Php5,000 to 93 former child laborers.

They also received grocery packs and rice subsidy from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Caraga through their Project Angel Tree.

The mission of SHIELD Against Child Labor focuses on strengthening efforts at the local level including establishment of help desks and a local registry on child labor in which referral mechanisms and convergence of support services are imbedded. In addition, advocacy and capacity building to increase awareness and capacities of the clientele group and the duty-bearers to enable them to provide appropriate and immediate interventions to child laborers and their families.

DSWD through its Sectoral Unit and other partner-stakeholders, intensifies its campaign to eliminate child labor and further strengthen its commitment in the delivery and implementation of SHIELD.