In line with the global celebration of the World Day Against Child Labor  (WDACL) 2024 on Wednesday (June 12), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reaffirmed its commitment to eradicate child labor in the Philippines through its Strategic Helpdesks for Information, Education, Livelihood, and Other Developmental Interventions (SHIELD) Program.

“With this year’s localized theme “Bawat Bata, Malaya: Mithiin ng Nagkakaisang Bansa”, the DSWD would like to emphasize the need for collective efforts in ensuring that every child is free from any form of abuse and exploitation and have the opportunity to enjoy a childhood filled with hope and promise,” Asst. Sec. for Disaster Response and Management Group (DRMG) Irene Dumlao said on Thursday (June 13).

According to Asst. Sec. Dumlao, who is also the DSWD spokesperson, the agency’s SHIELD Program against child labor has assisted a total of 10,192 child laborers nationwide from 2021 to 2023.

Out of these identified child laborers, some 1,986 SHIELD beneficiaries were already assessed to be free from any form of child labor and reintegrated into their respective families and communities.

“Through the established local helpdesk, support services from various agencies for child laborers and their families are readily available to ensure immediate and accessible developmental intervention at the ground,” the DSWD spokesperson pointed out.

Under the SHIELD program, the identified child laborers were provided with holistic and immediate interventions at the community level including the provision of services from the DSWD such as educational assistance, cash aid under the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) and Case Management from the DSWD and case referrals to other agencies.

“The success of the implementation of the SHIELD Program can also be attributed primarily to the local government units (LGUs) across the country which have supported us in the implementation of this comprehensive program for child laborers in their respective localities,” Asst. Sec. Dumlao explained.

Asst. Sec. Dumlao reiterated that the DSWD joins in the global celebration of the WDACL which serves as a timely reminder to promote the well-being of every child and protect them from becoming victim-survivors of child labor.

Mayor Ronnie Evangelista of Rodriguez town, one of the 75 LGUs nationwide that replicated the SHIELD program against child labor in their localities, expressed his full support to this initiative that provides comprehensive interventions to vulnerable children and their families.

“I am definitely in support of the government’s SHIELD program… With the local government, provincial government, and national government, as well, doing everything in collaboration with the parents/guardians, I am very positive, that we could have positive results on this program,” Mayor Evangelista said.

Mayor Evangelista said the counterpart of the SHIELD program in their municipality is the ‘Sagip Kabataan Bagong Montalban’ program which provides scholarship benefits, livelihood aid, and shelter assistance, among others to profiled child and youth laborers in their area.

In February this year, Mayor Evangelista signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with DSWD Field Office-CALABARZON Regional Director Barry Chua, formalizing the partnership between the DSWD and the LGU in implementing the anti-child labor program in Rodriguez, Rizal.

Aside from the 75 LGUs replicating the SHIELD program, there are 48 other localities with pending MOA signing and 38 that are already in their consultation stage.#