TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has provided more than P1.5 million worth of livelihood projects to 45 parents of child laborers in Biliran province to strengthen its child labor prevention campaign.

Flordelis Ceniza, focal person of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program (DILEEP) in Biliran, said the livelihood assistance aims to improve the economic conditions of vulnerable families, enabling parents to establish sustainable sources of income while reducing their dependence on child labor.

Ceniza said the assistance provides parents with an opportunity to improve their families' quality of life and secure a better future for their children.

“By nurturing and sustaining their livelihood projects, families can help ensure that their children remain in school instead of being compelled to work,” she said.

She added that the beneficiaries are parents of children profiled under the DOLE Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program from 2018 to 2021. They received a total of P1,698,334 worth of livelihood assistance.

The livelihood package covered a wide range of skill-based and community-driven projects, including carpentry, welding, plumbing, fishing, commercial cooking and food vending, puto making, barbecue vending, car wash services, coffee vending, laundry services, encoding and printing services, baking, coconut wine production, shoe repair, and barber shop operations.

DOLE also provided the beneficiaries with training in basic business management, simplified bookkeeping, and record-keeping to enhance their financial literacy and promote the long-term viability of their livelihood ventures.