The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) recently launched the “Makabata Helpline” to strengthen child labor reporting system.
The helpline, launched on June 23, World Day Against Child Labor (WDACL) Culminating Activity, is designed for “faster reporting and response” to concerns on children, such as child abuse and child labor. It is also part of DOLE’s intent to eradicate child labor in the Philippines.
Labor Undersecretary Benjo Santos Benavidez said, “Let us continue working toward our shared goal of a child labor-free Philippines.”
“We will not stop until all children are truly #BatangMalaya, free from child labor, free to play, free to get an education, free to become safe and healthy, free to achieve their dreams, and free to become just children,” Benavidez stressed.
The DOLE-initiated Batang Malaya Child Labor Knowledge Sharing System web site was also launched that day. It provides accessible information on child labor-related data.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), there are 1.37 million working children ages 5 to 17 in the country in 2021. This is higher than the previous year with a 1.5 percent difference.
In relation, 68.4 percent or 935,000 of these working children are engaged in child labor or hazardous work, done in long hours.
From 2018 to 2022, DOLE profiled 620,556 child laborers and 148,448 were withdrawn from child labor.
Makabata Helpline can be reached by phone at 0960- 377-9863 (Smart), 0915-802-2375 (Globe), or by e-mail at makabata1383@cwc.gov.ph.
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