RIGHTS Program Launched. DOLE XI RD Ofelia B. Domingo and Tagum City Mayor Allan L. Rellon unveil the curtain that covered the logo of the RIGHTS Program and witnessed by the advocacy stakeholders.
Davao del Norte – In support to the 1 Milyong Batang Malaya Movement of the Department of Labor and Employment, and the members of the National Child Labor Committee which aims to help children all over the country to be freed by any forms of child labor practices, the Tagum City LGU launched its RIGHTS Program: Tagum City’s Flagship Against Child Labor.
According to Mayor Allan L. Rellon, the RIGHTS Program which would take part in ending worst cases or forms of child labor in the city or in the whole province “would encapsulate the general objectives of 1) Reintegration of child laborers into the caring society through protection, withdrawal, and healing; 2) Expanded access of child laborers and their families to services for education, employment, livelihood, training, and shelter assistance; 3) Aptitude development for child laborers and workers in unleashing skills and talents in sports, music, and arts; 4) Collaboration of the LGU, NGA, NGO and private sectors in eradicating or diminishing cases of child labor; and 5) Holistic approach in fighting extreme forms of child labor practices by strengthening knowledge management among stakeholders, policymakers, program implementers and catered masses.”
The RIGHTS Program which is an acronym of R (Responsible Parenthood and), I (Intellectual), G (Growth for Children leads to), H (Humane and), T (Transfigured), S (Society) would be headed by the Public Education and Employment Services Office (PEESO) of the city, and in partnership with DOLE-Davao del Norte Field Office Child Labor technical working group. The program would advance its implementation with a battle cry of “BATANG TAGUMENYO, BATANG MALAYA!”
To initially concretize the anti-child labor advocacy, the DOLE Davao del Norte Field Office, and the Tagum City LGU had granted the RIGHTS Program some livelihood kits which amounted to One Million Five Hundred Thousand (P1,500,000.00) Pesos to seventy-five (75) parents of child laborers. The collaboration would also ensure training opportunities for the parents on how to safeguard the health of their children, on how to sustain the family’s needs and survive, and mainly to protect the children from becoming child laborers.
In the presence of stakeholders and beneficiaries, the activity was graced by the DOLE XI Team consisting of Regional Director Ofelia B. Domingo, CESO III, DOLE DNFO Chief Angelina A. Talingting, and some DOLE personnel, and the Tagum City LGU Team consisting of City Mayor Allan L. Rellon, the Members of the City Council, and the PESO Team. The activity was held on June 23, 2020, at the New City Hall Atrium, Apokon Tagum City, Davao del Norte. (By Dave Andrie A. Villegas, ICS, DOLE DNFO)
