Poverty pushes Western Visayas kids into child labor, DOLE says

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Economic hardship remains the leading factor driving child labor in Western Visayas, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Speaking ahead of the observance of World Day Against Child Labor on June 12, DOLE-6 Assistant Regional Director Melisa Navarra said many children enter the workforce because their families struggle to meet basic needs.

“Most often, families drive their children to work because of poverty,” Navarra said during a press conference on June 10.

To address the problem, DOLE-6 conducts profiling of child laborers and their families through child labor facilitators assigned to the region’s provinces.

Identified children are referred to partner agencies for appropriate interventions, including educational assistance and social services.

The agency also assesses the livelihood needs of families to determine which support programs may provide alternative sources of income.

“We have livelihood programs offered to families so they can sustain the education and health of their children,” Navarra said.

DOLE-6 also implements the Angel Tree Program under its Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program, which provides educational assistance and other support services to child laborers and children at risk of entering labor.

The initiative aims to help keep children in school and reduce their vulnerability to exploitative work.

Navarra noted that not all working children are considered child laborers under the law.

While certain forms of work may be allowed under regulated conditions, child labor generally refers to work that endangers a child’s health, safety, morals, or development, interferes with schooling, or involves hazardous occupations prohibited for workers younger than 18.

Under Republic Act No. 9231, which strengthens protections for working children and seeks to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, children younger than 15 are generally prohibited from working except under specific conditions that safeguard their welfare and safety.

Children may participate in public entertainment or information activities, including television, film, radio, and theater productions, provided employers secure the necessary permits and comply with labor standards set by DOLE.

Navarra emphasized that children younger than 18 should not be exposed to hazardous or exploitative work and must have access to education, rest, and recreation.

Meanwhile, the latest Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program data from DOLE-6 showed that 2,064 child laborers, or 40.83% of its 2026 regional target of 5,055, have been monitored.

Iloilo recorded the highest accomplishment with 824 monitored child laborers, equivalent to 52.72% of its target of 1,563.

Antique followed with 482 monitored child laborers, or 42.69% of its target of 1,129.

Capiz monitored 455 child laborers, representing 42.25% of its target of 1,077.

Guimaras monitored 221 child laborers, or 23.92% of its target of 924.

Aklan recorded 82 monitored child laborers, equivalent to 22.65% of its target of 362.

The agency has also profiled 1,652 child laborers, equivalent to 32.78% of its annual target of 5,040.

Antique posted the highest accomplishment rate with 348 profiled child laborers, or 53.54% of its target of 650.

Iloilo recorded the highest number of profiled child laborers at 690, representing 33.99% of its target of 2,030.

Guimaras profiled 153 child laborers, equivalent to 33.26% of its target of 460.

Aklan recorded 280 profiled child laborers, or 24.35% of its target of 1,150.

Capiz profiled 181 child laborers, representing 24.13% of its target of 750.

Nationwide, the problem has been on a downward trend but remains far from eliminated. The Philippine Statistics Authority estimated that about 509,000 of the country’s 863,000 working children aged 5 to 17 were engaged in child labor in 2024, down from 678,000 in 2023 and 828,000 in 2022, with agriculture accounting for the largest share of child laborers.

World Day Against Child Labor is observed annually to raise awareness about child labor and strengthen global efforts to eliminate the practice.