120 Parents of Child Laborers Get P3.6M Livelihood Aid From DOLE

Posted on August 21, 2026 at 3:55 am

Sogod, Southern Leyte – Parents of 120 child laborers in Sogod, Southern Leyte, received livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) worth P3.6 million, giving their families a chance to earn without having to rely on their children for additional income.

The assistance was distributed Thursday at the Sogod Municipal Gymnasium through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP).

Norma Rae Costimiano, DOLE-Eastern Visayas regional information officer, said parents identified in the agency’s list of child laborers are among those prioritized for livelihood assistance.

“We always make sure that parents of child laborers as listed in our profile are given livelihood assistance,” Costimiano said in a phone interview Friday.

The beneficiaries received tools, equipment and other materials based on the businesses or livelihood activities they chose.

Among the livelihood projects are barbershops, cake and bread vending, carpentry, dressmaking and tailoring, snack and fish vending, ginger and vegetable farming, ice cream making, poultry raising, tilapia farming, painting, welding, vulcanizing and Piso WiFi businesses.

Costimiano said the assistance is intended to give parents a way to earn and help lessen the reasons children end up working.

“Through this initiative, child labor has been addressed in many areas of the region since there are new livelihood opportunities for their parents,” she said.

The beneficiaries will receive the assistance only once, she said, allowing DOLE to extend the program to other parents of child laborers.

Those who need additional help may also be referred to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units.

For DOLE Southern Leyte Field Office head Eden Ligaya Golong, helping parents earn a living is also part of keeping children in school.

“By empowering parents of child laborers with viable sources of income, we are not only helping improve their economic condition but also strengthening our collective efforts to ensure that every child remains in school and is protected from child labor,” Golong said.

Children in Sogod have been reported working in farms and quarry sites.

Sogod Mayor Sheffered Lino S. Tan thanked DOLE for the assistance and assured the beneficiaries that the municipal government would continue to help them keep their livelihood projects running.

The DOLE program aims to help families increase their income through small businesses and other livelihood activities while giving children a better chance to stay in school instead of working.

Photo courtesy: DOL 8

Photo caption: Parents of 120 child laborers in Sogod, Southern Leyte, receive P3.6 million in livelihood assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to help their families earn income and keep their children in school.