TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan — With the continuous battle of the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office 02 (DOLE 2) to eliminate the prevalent but illegal practice of child labor, a livelihood assistance will be given to 60 parents of child laborers in Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya.

In 2014, DOLE 2 conducted an initial profiling of vulnerable workers in Region 2. The Municipality of Diadi was one of the municipalities of Nueva Vizcaya with recorded occurrence of Child Labor.

According to DOLE Regional Director, Manuel C. Roldan, the livelihood assistance amounting to P600, 000.00 will bein the form of a starter kit consisting of package services under its DILEEP- Kabuhayan Program.

Projects under the said livelihood assistance will include 1 agricultural supply, 15 fruit and vegetable vending, 3 fish vending, 2 dried fish vending, 1 junk shop, 3 snack vending, 5 lutongbahay and snack vending, 9 bigasan, 12 sari-sari store, 3 barbeque vending, 2 seedling vending, 2 corn vendor, 1 ukay-ukay, and 1 buko vending.

“The livelihood assistance to parents of child laborers enable them to earn income and thus keep their children from working as child laborers,” Roldan said.

The livelihood assistance program supports the active implementation of the DOLE’s Child Labor Free Barangay (CLFB) Campaign.

The DOLE aims to address the persistent problem of child labor in the region through financial assistance to enhance and nurture their livelihoods to support the education and welfare of their children.

In Region 2, the campaign for Child Labor Free- Barangays started in 2012 at Piat, Cagayan. The campaign aims to gradually prevent and eliminate all forms of child labor anchored on the theme, “Pagtutulungan, PagpapalayasamgaBatangManggagawa.”(END/JVP/RBE).