ZAMBOANGA CITY – With the goal of removing children from child labor, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) 9 distributed kabuhayan starter kits to 15 parents of child laborers in Zamboanga Sibugay Province, recently.

DOLE 9 Regional Director Atty. Roy L. Buenafe said that the DOLE Zamboanga Sibugay Field Office (ZSFO) facilitated the turn-over of kits to beneficiaries from various municipalities in Sibugay namely Naga, Siay and Malangas.

The distribution activities were held at the municipal halls of the aforementioned municipalities witnessed by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO) representatives of each LGU.

“The DOLE spent a total amount of Php 355,420.00 for tools to be used in gardening and carpentry as well as items for mini sari-sari stores. With this intervention, parents of child laborers may now secure income and provide the needs of their families. They will no longer rely on sending their children to work but instead send them to school to get proper education,” Atty Buenafe added.

The said assistance was made possible through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) which provides grant assistance for capacity-building on livelihood and entrepreneurial ventures for vulnerable and marginalized workers.

Senior Labor and Employment Officer Edyll Grace P. Poligrates of DOLE ZSFO said that the individual projects will be monitored jointly by DOLE and the respective PESO managers and MSWDO representatives of each LGU.

“The DOLE is committed in its fight against child labor in its worst forms. With the full cooperation of concerned agencies, we are working to provide necessary interventions to these families in hopes of a better life for them,” said Atty. Buenafe. ###