In a turnover ceremony on April 4, DOLE 11 Regional Director Randolf Pensoy received the bags handed by AboitizPower Distribution Utilities SVP and Chief Operating Officer (COO) Anton Mari Perdices, Davao Light President and COO Rodger Velasco and Income Credit Cooperative Chairman Jasper Gelacio.
The said items are given in support to DOLE's initiated Project AGAKKA (Alalay para sa Ginikanan Alang sa Kalambuan sa Kabatan-onan) aiming to address the significant number of working children.
In a statement, Davao Light said it recognized the importance of partnerships between public and private entities to align its programs to create a bigger impact on the community and help contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 1 , which is to end poverty.
Out of the total population of 31 million, more than 800,000 Filipino children are already working between the ages 5 to 17 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
This initiative is part of the Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP) of DOLE that aims to assist parents or guardians of child laborers to become financially able and stable by providing them livelihood or emergency employment.
Photo: Davao Light