Towards a Child Labour-Free Philippines: Supporting the ‘Philippine Program Against Child Labour’ in Building on Past Gains and Addressing Challenges

Development Objective: Contribute to the elimination of the worst forms of child labor (WFCL). 

This is to be achieved through the following immediate objectives:

• Knowledge management component: By the end of the Project, information on child labor will feed into national and local child labor policy and programme design, implementation and evaluation;
• Effective partnerships component: By the end of the Project, the national and local child labor committees and social partners have clearer mandates and responsibilities and improved capacities for policy development, enforcement and child labor monitoring;
• Area-based services component: By the end of the Project, models to withdraw working children and prevent children at-risk from working are developed, piloted and documented;
• Sustainability component: By the end of the Project, the child labor agenda is made an integral part of national development frameworks and local development programming; with local governments supported in coordinating resource allocations for child labor action.

 Summary of Activities:

• Designed and developed an internet-based information system on child labor (database requirements for child labor monitoring, research & studies, statistics, laws & ordinances) in coordination with relevant national and local partners
• Conducted national survey on working children in coordination with NSO, DOLE and other relevant partners
• Conducted continuing needs-based capacity building programmes for labor inspectors and social partners in the fight against child labor at the national and local levels
• Assisted local government units develop an integrated employment strategy, linked to the integrated service delivery system, and designed to promote access to wage and self employment opportunities for older working children and their families in close collaboration with training service providers and employers
• Provided direct education and health services to remove and protect children from the worst forms of child labor and prevent those at-risk of engagement in similar activities.
• Organized awareness campaign aimed at parents, the public, and local policy-makers as to deleterious effects on the local economy, individual health, and family income of continued child labor.
• A total of 9,505 children (3,901 girls and 5,604 boys) were withdrawn or prevented from exploitive child labor as a result of this project.