"A Multi-sectoral Approach to Elimination of Child Labor in
 Small Scale Mining in the Camarines Norte Experience"
by Elsa D. Rejoso, Ph.D.
Senior Science Research Specialist
and
Reynulfo A. Juan
Regional Director

A three-year program aimed at combating child labor (CL) in small-scale mining with funding from the Government of Finland was implemented in six small-scale mining villages in the municipalities of Labo, Paracale, Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte from June 2000 to May 2003. It was carried out thru the overall supervision of the International Labor Organization-International Program for the Elimination of Child Labor (ILO-IPEC) with different government agencies and non-government organizations as implementers of component action programs. Strategies of the program include two broad areas of action: a) installation of social protective services to child workers and their families and b) intensive capability building for policy and program implementers of a child labor program in the province.

Specific project components that are geared towards prevention and social protection of child labor as well as capability building was implemented thru community organizing and research, program monitoring and training of implementers.

Involvement of MGB-5 in the project was in the policy planning thru the Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board (PMRB) wherein specific resolutions prohibiting the employment of CL in small-scale mining were enacted. It has also undertaken training for the different partner agencies/organizations on enviromental and safety concerns in SSM operations.