BUKIDNON (PIA) — “We believe in our children, and we are working hard so that they, in turn, can believe in themselves,” Gov. Rogelio Neil Roque shared during the grand closing event of Project SPEAK (Sustainable Programs for Education, Advocacies, and Knowledge) held at Loiza’s Pavilion on October 8.
Implemented by ChildFund International, Kaanib Foundation Inc., and HaUman Association Inc. and funded by the European Union, the ChildFUnd Project SPEAK draws to a close, and the governor emphasized that sustainability remains a significant challenge.
He explained that the issue is difficult to resolve because of the competition between family standards of living and the basic need for food.
Despite the difficulty, the province is committed to making sure every child has every opportunity to succeed. “The future of Bukidnon is in their hands, and with education as their foundation, there is no limit to what our children can achieve,” Roque said.
Based on the data released by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on July 25, 2023, the proportion of working children aged 5 to 17 years old was estimated at 4.7 percent.
In 2022, the estimated total population of children aged 5 to 17 years old was 31.71 million. This was higher than the total number reported in 2021 at 31.64 million and in 2020 at 31.17 million.
The services sector had the largest share of working children.
According to data from PSA, the services sector emerged as the primary employment hub for working children in 2022, accounting for 49.5 percent of all working children. Estimates for 2021 and 2020 put it at 45.4 percent and 43.4 percent, respectively.
In 2022, the agriculture sector posted the second-largest share of working children at 43.2 percent. In 2021 and 2020, this sector also had the largest share of working children at 45.7 percent and 47.4 percent, respectively.
The industry sector continued to have the lowest share of working children at 7.3 percent in 2022, 9.0 percent in 2021, and 9.1 percent in 2020.
In 2022, Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) had the highest proportion of working children, accounting for 12.3 percent of all children aged 5 to 17 years old. Northern Mindanao followed with 8.6 percent and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 7.3 percent in 2022.
“Child labor violates human rights. It is a deceitful thief of childhood,” said Minerva C. Casinabe, a board member of Bukidnon, explaining that child labor robs children of their education, their health, and their future. It exploits children and endangers their welfare.
Casinabe added that poverty remains a major problem in our community, citing a lack of access to quality education and limited economic opportunities for the children.
As part of their commitment, the provincial government passed an ordinance designating the 12th day of June as an International Anti-Child Labor Day in the province of Bukidnon every year. (JMOR/PIA-10)
