Malaybalay to intensify drive against child labor

ATTY. MYA ROSOS

MALAYBALAY CITY – The city government is set to boost its campaign against child labor as alarming information on child exploitation in the labor sector was reported by the United Nations-International Labor Organization (UN-ILO).

        The report was anchored on the base-line survey, which was commissioned by the UN-ILO, conducted in Brgy. Linabo, Brgy. Managok , Brgy. San Jose, and nine other barangays in the province.

        It was learned that of the 656 households in the three barangays, 474 households have working children. And 507 children were reported working at top job sectors from agriculture, domestic work, construction, sales, transportation, among others.

        The children on the base-line survey fell under the age bracket of 5-17 years old, 334 children are males, 173 are females.

        As this developed, City Councilor Atty. Mya Analene D. Rosos is seeking to pass a resolution requesting City Mayor Ignacio W. Zubiri to create a special committee, which will be a multi-agency body under the City Council for the Welfare of Children, to address child labor issues.

        The special body, which will be named Malaybalay City Child Labor Committee (MCCLC), will focus its programs on the elimination of child labor in the city. Hence, MCCWC shall be the responsible agency for keeping the children in good hands and keeping them away from the worst forms of child labor.

        Earlier, Atty. Rosos, who chairs the Committee on Children, Women and Family of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, closely worked with the UN-ILO through Senior Programme Officer Jesus C. Macasil for the organizational planning of a child labor committee in the city.

        Reports have it that the MCCLC shall be composed by representatives from civil societies and other NGO’s/people’s organizations, Liga ng mga Barangays, local and national government agencies, private industries and the religious sectors.

        Child labor is gaining public condemnation as the practice is considered exploitative in nature. Accordingly, city officials are pooling efforts to eliminate illegal employment of children.