BORONGAN CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment – Eastern Samar Field Office (DOLE-ESFO) conducted Project Angel Tree for child laborers of barangays San Gabriel and San Jose, this city, on June 16.
The activity, which was held at the gymnasium of Brgy. San Gabriel, doubled as an opportunity for the orientation on Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP)
Some 100 child laborers accompanied by their parents received grocery packs from Tingog Partylist containing 5 kilos commercial rice, 8 sachet birch tree milk, 5 sachet twin packs coffee, 5 pcs, noodles, 3 cans beef loaf, and 3 cans tuna caldereta.
Another grocery pack was received from the city government of Borongan containing 3 kilos commercial rice, 4 pcs. noodles, 8 sachet bear brand milk, 10 sachet twin packs coffee, 3 cans beef loaf, and 3 cans corned beef.
The said child laborers were also given toys, school supplies and snacks from benefactors and stakeholders.
Also, during the activity, some 52 constituents of the two barangays benefitted the free medical consultation with free medicines.
According to Fe Norma Valuis, provincial head of DOLE-ESFO, aside from grocery packs and toys that were given, the food giant Jollibee gave 100 packs for snacks of children, while the provincial government of Eastern Samar gave packed lunch to the guests and participants.
The provincial head added that Project Angel Tree is a component of the DOLE’s child labor prevention, elimination program that provides an array of assistance and services that may include food, clothing, educational supplies, and even work and training opportunities made available by sponsors or benefactors “angels” to child laborers and their parents.
“Child laborers find themselves to drop out of school so that they could work to supplement the family income or simply to support themselves,” Valuis said.
She further said that child laborers were identified through the assigned community facilitators in DOLE-ESFO by profiling vulnerable child laborers in different barangays of the province.
Project Angel Tree aims to uplift the lives of child laborers and return them back to school for their education through livelihood and employment opportunities for their parents, Valuis also said.
Some 18 benefactors and stakeholders were given certificates of recognition by DOLE-ESFO for their wholehearted support to the Angel Tree program
“The Project Angel Tree” is a manifestation of the joint efforts of the government and the private sector in keeping children away from dangerous workplaces, Valuis said. (MMP/SDC/PIA Eastern Samar)
