DOLE Launches Garden Project to Combat Child Labor

DOLE RO6-Capiz Field Office Head Joselito de la Banda, along with local government unit officials, lead the opening of the “Hardin ng Pag-Asa Para sa Batang Manggagawa.”

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 6 Capiz Field Office, under the leadership of Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr., has been actively monitoring the progress of the “Hardin ng Pag-Asa Para sa Batang Manggagawa” (Garden of Hope for Child Laborers) project since its launch on June 27, 2024, in Brgy. Pawa, Panay, Capiz.

This initiative is a part of the Department’s Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program and involves 28 parents and child laborers from the municipality.

The project aims to provide a sustainable livelihood through backyard gardening, a key component of Project Angel Tree, which focuses on preventing and eliminating child labor.

“It is a symbolic planting of the child laborers’ seeds of dreams to get out of poverty through the garden of hope provided by the government,” said Regional Director Atty. Sixto T. Rodriguez, Jr. He emphasized the importance of the Capiz Field Office’s support for the beneficiaries, ensuring they receive the necessary assistance.

The program aligns with the government’s broader initiative to distribute vegetable seedlings to local communities and households, promoting sustainable agriculture and enhancing food security.

By encouraging local vegetable cultivation, the program aims to reduce reliance on imported produce and provide a steady supply of fresh, nutritious foods to the community.