The Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI) celebrates the 2025 World Day Against Child Labor (WDACL) with the theme: Sa Bagong Pilipinas: Mag-aaral ang Bata, Hindi Manggagawa.
The WDACL is celebrated with SIFI’s 44 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Organizations (ARBOs) under the Child Labor Mitigation Program (CLMP) and the Integrated ARBO Child Labor and PPE Program (IACAP). Awareness-raising activities on child rights and child labor were conducted, alongside various events like sports and athletic leagues, poster-making and dance competitions, to promote child rights and development in farming communities.
The integration of IACAP to the Barangay bore fruit to these events, as local government officials voluntarily took part in making the activities more memorable by sponsoring materials and logistics for the ARBOs.
Aside from that, SIFI participated in the WDACL celebration of the Department of Labor and Employment – Negros Occidental Field Office (DOLE-NOFO) at GT 888 Mall in Bacolod City. A gift giving ceremony was held to the invited partners and SIFI ARBO representatives, parents and children. The DOLE conducted a services caravan for the guests by providing medical, dental, wellness, and grooming services. A livelihood skills training and entrepreneurial seminar were also held for the parents and representatives present in the event.
Photo Courtesy: Batang Malaya Region VI
With this, a memorandum of agreement between DOLE-NOFO and SIFI was signed by DOLE Region 6 Director Atty. Sixto Rodriguez Jr and SIFI President Edith Y. Villanueva in the hopes of creating future collaborations in the prevention of child labor in the province.
Photo Courtesy: Batang Malaya Region VI