The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has renewed its call for collective action to protect Filipino children from labor exploitation.
DSWD's Message on World Day Against Child Labor
In observance of the World Day Against Child Labor on Friday, DSWD Undersecretary Monina Josefina Romualdez emphasized the importance of safeguarding children's rights.
"Fair play for children, decent work for adults, remind us that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and enjoy their childhood — not to be encumbered with work," Romualdez said in a news release.
She stressed that preventing child labor is a shared responsibility requiring support from the entire nation and society.
The SHIELD Program
The DSWD is implementing the Strategic Helpdesks for Information, Education, Livelihood, and Other Developmental Interventions (SHIELD) program, which provides holistic and immediate interventions at the community level for child laborers and their families.
Interventions include case management, educational assistance, livelihood support, and referrals to other government agencies.
"Through our SHIELD against child labor program and our broader social protection initiatives, we continue to support vulnerable children and their families, helping address the conditions that place children at risk," Romualdez added.
Program Impact
From 2021 to 2025, the program assisted 14,112 child laborers, of whom 4,547 have been assessed to be free from any form of child labor.
