A popular author once quoted that "children shouldn't have to sacrifice so you can have the life you want. You make sacrifices so children can have the life they deserve".

As part of the government's efforts to become child labor-free, the Department of Labor and Employment has beef up its implementation of the Child Labor Program to ensure that no minor takes on the responsibility of providing for their families or engaging in child labor as a means for survival.

Because of this, DOLE Region-9 has funded P1.15M worth of Starter Kits to parents of 132 child laborers (CLs) or children-at-risk of becoming laborers from the Municipalities of Gutalac, Manukan, Sergio Osmena, Siayan and Sindangan in Zamboanga del Norte before their graduation from the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development end of 2013.

The beneficiaries of the 2013 Convergence Program against Child Labor were identified through the assistance of the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices and 4Ps Municipal Links. The LGUs, as DOLE Accredited Co-Partners shall serve as the conduits of financial assistance and act as program partners particularly in building the capacities of the workers-beneficiaries.

The parents of CLs shall receive a package of services that will enable them to become self-employed and start quickly their livelihood undertakings along backyard piggery and quail eggs production, food processing, garments-making, carpentry, welding, vulcanizing and repair, farming, fishing with motorized bancas and sikad-sikad driving. With these, they are expected to become self-sufficient with the capability to send their children to school despite the absence of cash grant from the 4Ps.

The 4Ps is a human development program of the government that invests in the health and education of poor households. DOLE's Kabuhayan Starter Kits on the other hand, is a livelihood formation strategy intended to bring about improved socio-economic well-being of workers in the formal economy, sector with special concerns such as child laborers and their families, as well as displaced workers. It is a component of the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP) which contributes to the national agenda of reducing poverty through the promotion of livelihood and entrepreneurship, and developing community enterprises through convergence of services.

DOLE issued its commitment to complement DSWD's 4Ps with DILP during the 6th Regional Directors' Consultation Workshop on Converging Efforts toward Effective Transition held on March 5-8, 2013 in Baguio City targeting to address the needs of 3,700 child laborers and their families through the provision of convergent services along healthcare, education and livelihood.