80 barangays tagged as battlefronts vs child labor

Labor officials have identified 80 barangays around the country as initial battlefronts for the government's intensified drive against child labor. Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said they will work with the appropriate agencies and local governments to rid these villages of child labor. “As we said earlier, we have a very high resolve to lick the child-labor menace in our midst, and we will work on it, one barangay at a time, until we are able to liberate all the country’s barangays with high incidence of child labor and make them child labor-free,” Baldoz said. She said the DOLE's Child Labor-Free Barangay Campaign has a key role in the Philippine Program Against Child Labor, which seeks the prevention and progressive elimination of child labor. Baldoz also said most of these 80 barangays are in the 609 municipalities in the List of Focus Cities and Municipalities of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC). "Thus, these barangays are the priorities for convergence of funding, other resources, and technical expertise of government agencies engaged in development work,” she said. The 80 barangays are as follows: Metro Manila: Brgy. Pasong Putik in Quezon City; Brgy 210 in Sampaloc, Manila; and Brgy. 194 in Villamor Airbase, Pasay City; Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR): Barangays Gawang in Balbalan,  Kalinga; Mabaay, Pides, Aguid, and Fidelisan in Bauko, Mountain Province; Baguio Market Place in Baguio City; and Lengaoan in Buguias in Benguet; Region 1: Barangays Pinadangan West in Alcala, Pangasinan; Sinapangan Sur in Baloan, La Union; Banuar in San Juan, Ilocos Sur; and Valbuena  and Calboraon in Pinili, Ilocos Norte; Region 2: Barangays  Sto. Domingo in Piat; Sampaguita in Solana, San Vicente, Bugnay and Fugu in Tuao, Cagayan; Region 3: Barangays Sisiman in Mariveles,  Bataan; Taal in Bocaue, Bulacan; San Jose in Dipaculao, Aurora;  Pandacaqui in Mexico, Pampanga; and Central in San Miguel, Tarlac; Region 4-A: Barangays San Rafael in Rodriguez and Sta. Ines in Tanay, Rizal;  Barangays Kingfisher in Cavite City, Cavite; Dau in Tuy, Batangas; and Barangay 7 in Catanuan, Quezon; Region 4-B: Barangay Poblacion in Mansalay; Tabuk in Bulalacao; and Sabang White Beach in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro; Ambulong and Dulangan in Magdiwang, Romblon; and Tayamaan in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. Region 5: Barangays Bagumbayan, Bapor, Nursery, Pating and Tugbo in Masbate City, Masbate. Region 6: Barangays Jonob-Jonob and  Balinatawak  in Escalanate City and Antipolo in Pontevedra,  Negros Occidental; Alfonso XII in Libacao and  Mamba  in Madalag, Aklan; Region 7: Barangays Adlaon in Cebu City and Kayang in Bogo, Cebu; Cangguhob in Mabinay and Azagra and Manlingay in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental; Region 8: Barangays Ipil-Ipil and Cawayan in Catarman; Eco in Mondragon; Little Venice in Laoang; and Dapdap in Las Navas, Northern Samar; Region 9: Barangays Bulatoc in Pagadian City, Zambonga del Sur; Baybay in Liloy, Zambonga del Norte; Sta. Cruz in Diplahan,  Lumbangan  in Zambonga City and Market Site in Isabela City, Zamboanga Sibugay. Region 10: Barangays Butong, Salawagan, San Jose, Menangiran, and Poblacion in Quezon, Bukidnon; Region 11: Barangays Kibuaya in Hagonoy; Pasig in Kiblawan; 5-A (Poblacion), Bankerohan, Matina Pangi, and New Carmen in Davao City, Davao del Sur. Region 12: Barangays Malire and Cadungon in Antipas; Saguing in Makilala; Presbitero in Pigkawayan, North Cotabato; Kematu in T’boli; and Lagao, San Isidro, and City Heights in General Santos City, South Cotabato. Caraga: Barangays Taft in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte; Poblacion in Barobol, Surigao del Sur; Poblacion in San Jose, Dinagat;  Poblacion in Tubay, Agusan del Norte; and Taglatawan in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur. Child labor Baldoz said most of the forms of child labor existing in these target barangays are in mining; farm work; deep-sea fishing; pyrotechnics production; stevadoring;  vending; rubber budding; banana bagging; cargo loading; sugarcane farming; scavenging; waitressing/waitering; and pedicab driving. She said that to effectively carry out the campaign, DOLE Regional Offices are closely working with local government units through the barangay captains and their officials, as well as community leaders, including parent-leaders who are grantees of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps). “We are utilizing in the campaign strategies such as stricter enforcement of child labor laws, knowledge sharing through the Child Labor Knowledge Sharing System, integrated livelihood through the DILP-CED, emergency employment through the CBEP, and alternative employment for the child workers’ families,” she said. — LBG, GMA News