Families of child laborers receive start-up capital

CEBU, Philippines —  At least 34 families of child laborers from Bogo City will soon start a small business of their own after they were given livelihood assistance by the Department of Labor and Employment.

DOLE-7 director Salome Siaton, in a statement, said the families benefited from the Kabuhayan Para sa Magulang ng Batang Manggagawa (KASAMA) program wherein qualified beneficiaries will be given a maximum of P20,000 as start-up capital.

Siaton said that DOLE has allocated P680,000 as livelihood assistance fund intended for the families of child laborers.

  Some of the beneficiaries may venture into cattle fattening, hog-raising, general merchandising, and bakeshop. Others would go into welding, trisikad operations, and candle-making.

“The livelihood assistance provided to beneficiaries is a way of empowering them and making them eventually, self-sufficient. The initiative is hoped to prevent their children from engaging with child labor or from reverting to the worst forms of child labor,” said Siaton.

She said beneficiaries will receive raw materials and equipment for their respective projects.

 “We’d like to commend the Cayang Multi-Purpose Cooperative that served as the DOLE’s accredited co-partner or conduit in the implementation of the beneficiaries’ projects. The Coop will assist not only in the implementation phase but also in monitoring and liquidation of expenses,” Siaton added. FPL (FREEMAN)