COTABATO CITY (John Unson, June 28, 2024) — More than 30 rescued child laborers commemorated here on Friday, June 28, 2024, the World Day Against Child Labor and talked about how their lives have become better via multi-sector humanitarian interventions.
The erstwhile child laborers were gathered at a function facility in Barangay Rosary Heights 7 here by the Ministry of Labor and Employment-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the International Labour Organization (ILO) of the United Nations and the non-government Integrated Resource Development for Tri-People (IRDT) that are together addressing child labor in this city and in nearby BARMM provinces.
Among the children involved in the activity were grade school pupils who had garnered prizes in a poster-making contest four days before, as part of the World Day Against Child Labor celebration.
Officials of the MoLE-BARMM and representatives of the ILO and the IRDT then took turns imparting to guests how their joint anti-child labor initiatives in the autonomous region, launched more than a year ago, are gaining headway.
BARMM Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin Sema and Bai Sara Jane Sinsuat, director of MoLE-BARMM’s Bureau of Employment, Promotion and Welfare, separately said that they have had markedly good breakthroughs in their anti-child labor efforts in recent months, achieved with the support of the ILO and the IRDT.
The ILO was represented in Friday’s commemoration here by rescued child laborers of the World Day Against Child Labor by its project officer for the autonomous region, Elias Salazar, and project manager Jennylyn Aguinaldo.
IRDT’s director, Kalma Jikiri-Isnain, also participated in the activity, capped off with their signing of a manifesto, along with Sema and other MoLE-BARMM officials, reiterating their commitment to continue addressing child labor issues in the autonomous region.
Child labor is prevalent in some areas in BARMM due to underdevelopment as a result of decades of secessionist conflicts and lack of schools in far-flung areas. (JOHN UNSON)
