Over 1,000 kids work in sugarcane plantations

The Department of Labor and Employment in coordination with Plan International, a non-government organization, recently recorded more than 1,000 children working in the sugarcane industry in the municipality of Medellin.

Bernie Alverio, project coordinator of Plan International, said that these children are working along with their parents under the "pakyaw system."

As a result, Alverio said that, "most of these children have not finished their studies and their physical growth stunted for lack of food under heavy works."

A task force was created involving the Department of Education, and local government units led by municipal mayors and barangay captains.

Antonio Torrevillas, DepEd district supervisor of Medellin, said that they are into advocacy campaigns with Plan International to educate the parents.

Meager income is the common reason given by parents on why they weren't able to send their children to school.

Torrevillas said that Plan International is providing school supplies, incentives and other needs of the children so the parents would no longer have an excuse.

He said that the sugarcane planters association is also providing scholarships to children for high school to college education as well as hospitalization program to families of sugarcane plantation workers.

Ma. Nancy Abad, chief labor and employment officer of DOLE-7, said that they have the Regional Child Labor Committee, which conducted inspections both in the formal and informal sectors.

Abad confirmed that they are in the development stage in educating the parents and the employer, for both sectors. She also said they can't impose the punitive aspect yet.