photo courtesy of BEN SERRANO, Gold Star Daily

 The story first appeared on the Philippine Star and Gold Star Daily through the reports of columnist Ben Serrano.  “ BATANG KALABAW is prevalent in at Barangay Bagang, Jabonga, Agusan Del Norte

 RD Ofel Domingo organized a Quick Action Team to immediately address and respond to the child labor report  On April 27, the team went to Barangay Baleguian, adjacent barangay to Bagang to meet the parents of the batang kalabaw or and profile these so called “batang-kalabaw” child laborers

 Of the 30 batang kalabaw profiled, 10 are in school and 20 are out of school. Highest grade attended is third year in high school.  Most of these children, per interview, started as batang kalabaw as young as seven years old.  Forty-seven percent (47%) of the batang kalabaw profiled are between the ages of 9-12; 27% are between years old; 17% are years old and 10% are 6-10 years old.  All parents are informal farm workers with no formal schooling. A few of them were batang kalabaw themselves. One father is still working as a “kalabaw” until now. All mothers are stay-at-home-mothers with no livelihood undertaking. They are potential target for a livelihood project that can be done within the confines of their home.  Fifty-five percent (55%) of the families profiled has 6-10 members in a family; 36% has 2-5 members and 9% has members..

 On April 28, the DOLE team spearheaded by RD Domingo and ARD Joel Gonzales proceeded to Brgy. Baleguian to launch Project Angel Tree and the livelihood assistance for the parents of the child laborers. 30 child laborers were given t-shirts, slippers and meals from McDonald’s

 DOLE provided 5 male carabaos for immediate income use of the parents of the Batang Kalabaw. The release is covered by an agreement on the scheme of the division of the proceeds among the families.

 May 2012, RD Domingo linked the livelihood needs of the parents of the child laborers to Gov. Erlpe Amante and Rep. Angel Matba  Rep. Angel Amante provided fund to buy 3 male carabaos and additional 2 female carabaos  Gov. Erlpe Amante committed 5 female carabaos to be released in August  A Total of 15 carabaos are to be used as for the livelihood ivelihood of the parents of the batang kalabaw

July 24, 2012 BARANGAY BALEGUIAN JABONGA, AGUSAN DEL NORTE

▪ "Child labor" refers to any work or economic activity performed by a child that subjects him/her to any form of exploitation or is harmful to his/her health and safety or physical, mental or psychosocial development. ▪ CHILDREN KNOWN AS BATANG KALABAW PULLS OR DRAGS A CUT LOG TO A DESIGNATED PLACE WHERE IT IS HAULED OR LOADED TO A TRUCK. THE CUT LOG IS DRAGGED OR PULLED BY STRAPPING THE END OF A ROPE AROUND THE BODY OF THE CHILD AND THE OTHER END OF THE ROPE IS STRAPPED AROUND THE LOG. THIS IS WORST FORM OF CHILD LABOR. BATANG KALABAW IS FOUND TO HAVE THRIVED IN JABONGA, AGUSAN DEL NORTE

▪ The DOLE’s Child Labor-Free Barangay Campaign is central to the direction of the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL), which aims for the prevention and progressive elimination of child labor incidence in the country, is also part of the government’s initiative to contribute to the “Batang Malaya Campaign: A child labor-free Philippines by 2016.

 OBJECTIVES  1. To liberate the “Batang Kalabaw” from hauling logs for a fee of P50 or less, considered as worst forms of child labor  PARA MAKALINGKAWAS ANG MGA” BATANG KALABAW” SA PAGHAKOT UG MGA TROSO NA NAAY BAYAD GIKAN P50 PAUBOS,NGA MAO’Y USA SA PINAKA NGIL-AD O DAUTAN NGA PAMAAGI SA PAGPANARBAHO SA MGA BATA.

 2. To provide livelihood to parents of child laborers through provision of 13 carabaos as starter kits.  PARA MAKAHATAG OG PANGINABUHIAN SA MGA GINIKANAN SA MGA CHILD LABORERS PINAAGI SA PAGPANTAHAG OG 13 KARABAW ISIP PAGSUGOD SA PANGINABUHIAN, MGA MAKAPAGAAN SA ILANG KINABUHI

 3) To bring back the child laborers in school.  PARA PAGDALA SA MGA CHILD LABORERS O BATANG MAMUMUO BALIK SA TULONGHAAN/ESKWELAHAN.

 4) To ensure that child laborers will remain in school through provision of school supplies and source of income in the long term to their parents.  PARA PAGSIGURO NGA ANG MGA BATANG MAMUMUO MAGPABILIN SA PAGTUNGHA SA ESKWELAHAN PINAAGI SA PAGPANGHATAG OG MGA GAMIT PARA SA ILANG PAG ESKWELA OG PAGHATAG USAB OG PANGINABUHIAN SA MGA GINIKANAN.

 6) To achieve a child labor free barangay in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.  PARA MAKAB-OT ANG PAGHANAW SA MGA BATANG AMUMUO SA BARANGAY DINHI SA JABONGA, AGUSAN DEL NORTE OBJECTIVES

 The carabao eats grass and other vegetation, feeding mainly in the cool of the mornings and evenings.  Its life span is 18 to 20 years  The female carabao can deliver one calf each year.  The Philippine Carabao Center (PCC), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture, was created in 1992 to study and promote the carabao in the PhilippinesDepartment of Agriculturecarabao  As a multi-purpose animal that can be raised for milk, meat, hide, and draft.  The bill on carabao and the establishment of Philippine Carabao Center was sponsored by the then senator Joseph EstradaJoseph Estrada  Eventually enacted as a law through Republic Act 7307 or the Philippine Carabao Act of 1992 signed by then President Corazon Aquino.  The PCC had some success in reproductive biotechnology in 2004 when the first test-tube buffalo was born on April 5, also the birthday of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Incidentally, the test- tube buffalo is a female and was named as "Glory" after the President.President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

 On July 24, 8 male carabaos were released to the parents of the batang kalabaw, by Usec Lourdes Trasmonte as witnessed by ILO Country Director Jeff Laurence Johnson, RD Ofel Domingo, Dir. Chit Cilindro, and Dir. Nikon Fameronag

 Backpacks filled with school supplies were given to 10 batang kalabaw children who were IN-SCHOOL

 From private partners, People Management Ass. Of the Phils. (PMAP) and Caraga Family Welfare Council, Inc. (CFWCI), they each gave P 5,000 to the children as educational assistance. They committed to give P5,000 each every quarter or P20,000 each per year or a total of P40,000.

 The parents of the batang kalabaw with their tribal leader were made to sign An AGREEMENT of cooperation translated in the dialect wherein they agreed to stop their children from hauling logs again or engaging in hazardous form of labor and send them back to school in exchange for the carabaos they received. Included in the agreement was the MECHANICS IN THE USEOF THE CARABAO AND INCOME DISTRIBUTION AS WELL AS MONITORING OF THIS LIVELIHOOD PROJECT.

 A memorandum of agreement between and among public and private partners was signed as a commitment to to support the “Angel Tree” project, and the department’s campaign for Child Labor Prevention and Elimination.  Partners involved: DOLE, DILG, DSWD, DOH, DA, DepEd, DENR, NCIP, LGU Jabonga, PMAP, CFWCI, PLGU Agusan Norte, 2 nd Congressional District of Agusan Del Norte

 The activity was featured in the July 26, 2012 Gold Star Daily newspaper