DOLE releases PHP 5.5 million aid for child laborers’ parents

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Region 6, through its Negros Occidental Field Office, released PHP 5.5 million in livelihood assistance to Christian Advocates for Justice and Development in Negros, Inc. for parents of child laborers.

The grant will support 263 parents of child laborers from Bacolod City, Victorias City, and the municipalities of Moises Padilla and E.B. Magalona, all in Negros Occidental.

The assistance will fund community enterprises such as fertilizer retailing, rice trading, sari-sari stores, and livestock feed supply.

More than income-generating, these ventures aim to help parents provide for their families while keeping their children in school and on track toward their goals.

CAJDEN Executive Director Linda Ganaba welcomed the assistance with optimism, noting that when parents are given the means to provide, children are given the chance to dream.

Ganaba said the project represents a collective commitment to break the barriers of poverty and create lasting change for communities.

Regional Director Sixto T. Rodriguez Jr. expressed confidence in the program’s long-term impact.

Rodriguez said the grant is not only an investment in livelihood but also an investment in the future of the children.

The PHP 5.5 million assistance reflects DOLE’s commitment to inclusive growth, child protection, and stronger Filipino families.

As the Katilingban Stores expand across Negros Occidental, they stand as livelihood opportunities and symbols of resilience and solidarity.

DOLE’s Integrated Livelihood Program, also known as Kabuhayan, provides starter kits and grants to vulnerable workers—including parents of child laborers—as part of the agency’s child labor prevention and elimination efforts.