The Integrated ARBO Child Labor and PPE (IACAP) Program of the Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI) establishes the barangay integration of child labor initiatives to various areas.
As the integration of IACAP initiatives are brought to the barangay level, 10 more barangays that cater to SIFI’s partner Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) were targeted to engage this year. The barangay integration aims to include activities on Child Labor Mitigation and collaborations with the ARBOs in the 2026 Annual Work and Financial Plan.
The criteria of selecting this year’s barangay integration included the active participation and cooperation between the barangay the ARBOs, existing membership of the ARBO within the Barangay, and the number of ARBOs within a barangay.
All of the 10 barangays have existing annual Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC) Work and Financial Plans that focuses on child survival, protection, wellness, among others. The same council has 1% budget allocation from the barangay’s National Tax Allotment (NTA) to fund various initiatives concerning the protection of the child. Out of the 10 barangays, 3 have existing ordinances on Child Labor Mitigation as a product of SIFI’s ABK3 Project in 2012.
The barangays and ARBOs participated in the Barangay Integration Seminar in SIFI with resource speakers from the Department of Labor and Employment – Negros Occidental Field Office and the Department of Interior and Local Government – Negros Occidental. Various discussions and workshops pertaining to the welfare of children were tackled during the seminar.
With this, the ARBOs and barangays look forward to bringing the drafted plans to life to give better protection and service to the children in their respective communities.
