‘TF Sampaguita’ cracks down on child labor

Children selling Sampaguita garlands in Quezon City and their handlers can expect to be accosted by city law enforcers or social workers.

This development came about as the Quezon City government created "Task Force Sampaguita" to crack down on child labor exploitation that endangers their lives as they sell items or beg for alms while evading.

The newly created task force is mandated to protect children in the city from exploitation like forced labor. It will have as its chairman the mayor.

Created under Executive Order 41-2022, the need for such a task force became evident as a result of the joint surveillance conducted in August by the QC Public Employment Service Office and the Social Services Development Department along Tomas Morato Avenue.

It will be officially known as the QC City Interagency Task Force for the Special Protection of Street Children and Laborers.

The surveillance showed that the number of children selling garlands of Sampaguita flowers on the road has increased.

Most of the minors interviewed during the surveillance said they were from nearby cities.

With the coming Christmas season, Belmonte said they are expecting a rise in the number of children being forced to work by their parents or their "handlers."

"Task Force Sampaguita will craft a local action plan on how to address the problem based on the guidelines set forth under Republic Act 7610, the Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection Against Child Abuse, and Presidential Decree No. 1563 or the Anti-Mendicancy Law, and other related legislative measures," Belmonte said Saturday.

She added the task force will also formulate a policy framework that will profile street children, as well as their families.

A referral system that will be forwarded to relevant government agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, various non-governmental organizations, and local government units where the children reside, will be crafted by the task force.

QC will strengthen its cooperation with the Department of Labor and Employment to avail assistance and services for child laborers, the mayor said.

"We will also coordinate with the families of the said children in order to address issues and concerns affecting the street children and child laborers," she said.

The families of children already profiled will be assisted to secure QCitizen identification cards that would enable them to receive benefits for livelihood and educational assistance and help them coordinate better with their village officials.

Meanwhile, profiled children from other cities will be escorted back to their places of residence.

The local government unit urged the public to report observed cases of street children and child labor through QC Hotline 122.

"Due to hardships, young people are forced to work instead of studying. The city government is here to support them and their family by providing various assistance and services," she said.