Labor agency vows to look into 'minors as miners' report

By Jereco O. Paloma

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Dole Regional Director Joffrey M. Suyao vowed to review and monitor compliance with anti-child labor policies and programs in the entire Davao Region.

Suyao, during Monday's Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM, cited the need to monitor strict compliance with anti-child labor practices in all industries in the region, including mining firms.

"Kung bata yang na-apektohan, tutulungan natin ang kanyang family (If the victim is minor, then we will help his family)," Suyao said.

Suyao said that last year, they entered into an agreement with Maragusan town in Compostela valley seeking to grant a P1 million reward to the municipality if it records no violation of anti-child labor practices.

He lamented that during their visit to the landslide site, he learned that even the local government is not aware the minors have been employed in the mining area.

Suyao said until the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Davao Region finalizes the record of affected residents, Dole cannot determine its next step.

One John Ric Torrejos, 15, was among the 13 fatalities pulled out from the mud and stones in Pantukan mining site. Torrejos reportedly worked as a miner.

Meanwhile, Mines and Geosciences Bureau chief Leo Jasareno called on the government to take appropriate measures against the employment of minors in mining operations.

Jasareno said the employment of women also makes mining a social issue.

"The government should start taking actions that will rationalize the mining industry as this becomes a social issue," Jasareno said, adding small-scale mining has more underlying issues.

Jasareno urged the local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to intensify its monitoring of various mining operators' compliance with mining laws.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on April 28, 2011. 


Young or old , rich or poor , man or woman , black or white ;We are created by God equally and so each one of us should exercise our rights. Our right to live , to acquire good & formal education , to develop our potentials, to experience the pursuit of happiness , to enjoy our childhood years and many more. But wait , the last part that I've mentioned has something to do with the current issue about CHILD LABOR in Compostela Valley.

 This social issue about child labor in Compostela Valley especially engaging into mining operations  is not new to us anymore because we are always confronted with many situations, not only in ComVal but almost around the Philippines. Yes , Philippines is very rich in natural & human resources. These things made our country known to the world. But the sad thing is , Philippines' human resources-the Filipinos were not all given the chance to acquire their rights. I pity those children who are in very early age suffered from the greed & violence of the world. 

I felt so bad upon knowing about this and worst is when accidents happen who will they blame ? Is it the family or the government ? I don't think that we should blame the children for working as miners instead of going to school and earn a degree because for me , they are just victims of the circumstance. If they were born poor , it is not because of them . It is because of the situation itself. I mean , it is not their fault if they were born in this world. Who's decision is that ? Of course , it is their parent's decision. In the first place , they knew already their poor situation and who would want to bear many children? It is really up to them. They are old enough to know their responsibilities most importantly to their children. They should be the one working for them. They should send them to school. But what happened ? It is their children who work to have money so that they can have food and other needs. See? This is so devastating especially on my part because I still belong to minors. I really pity them , especially the minors who turned to be miners. They are supposed to live the same way like I did ,not to live in poverty. They are supposed to be in school and learn things , not in mining operations . They are supposed to enjoy their life ,not to throw it away. All these things made my tears fall. If only I have enough money to feed their hungry mouths and send them to school , I already did. But I am still a minor too. I am still not capable of doing these things. 

I am angry to those people who let them work without considering their age , capacity , and most importantly their rights. They should secure that. But instead of abiding with the law that there should be no child labor , they continued their operation. What kind of mind setting do they have? Are they crazy ? or just unfair and very greedy of money and wealth ? Infact , they all come together. They are crazy because they don't have a heart to these minors. They were unfair because they let the minors do the hard/heavy work and lastly they were very greedy of money and wealth because they neglect the rights of these children as long as they can gain money from the operation. Isn't it unhumane ? Aside from the fact that they are violating the law against anti-child labor , they also contribute to the distraction of our mother Earth. They are one of the suspects of the catastrophes happening in their place especially the massive landslides. They really contribute a lot to the downfall of these uplands and because of this many properties were destroyed and many people died. They should stop mining , and save life & mother Earth. They are all due to pay for all the things they violated especially to the law and to our nature.

On the other hand , why would this incident happen if there is such law? Are we going to blame the government ? Perhaps, we should. We really should . I did not say that I am against them.I mean , local government officials did not did their duties very well because if they did, this wouldn't happen. As law makers , they should implement laws strictly. They should not be bribed by the bigtime men instead they should take an action to end this. They are our leaders and they are expeceted to be responsible in assuring that no rights were deprived. They should not act if there is already an accident because it's too late. There's only one advice I could give to them : " BAYAN MUNA". That would speak a lot of what I really want to happen . There must be change in our system. They should not prioritize their interests over the needs of the people.  As the famous line goes " Government is of the people , by the people and for the people." This must be their advocacy.

 To end my reaction paper , I know I may be too harsh on my words but I am just being true to myself.I wish that all of us would take part of our duties in our society regardless of class , status, color , culture and beliefs. If we want to make a change we should start in ourselves. Start it now , not later. Actually , we don't need to wait for our local government officials to work , instead let our initiatives and common sense work for it. Anyway , we have the power to change. In this world of violence and oppression , where must we take these children where everything is safe? I guess , there is no place like paradise but I know such place where nothing's going to harm them-in our hearts. Yes , indeed its true.  I may sound absurd but we can carry on this challenge.  We should not get discouraged instead stand for what we know is good & right. Fight for your rights and don't let anyone stepped into it. To attain this , we should be knowledgeable enough of our law. This serves as our guide to have equality. Remember , "Ignorance of the law , excuses no one." And lastly , we should prioritize the children & minor and let them live a normal life. We should not corrupt their minds because they will soon become our future leaders who will lead this nation.  We need not only good leaders but excellent leaders that have a heart to the people , to the nature and to God. May God bless us all especially to those victims of violence and oppression.