To fortify the region’s defenses against child exploitation and ensure the effective implementation of protective programs, the Department of Labor and Employment Regional Office No. 8 (DOLE-RO8) through its Technical Support and Services Division (TSSD) convened the Regional Council Against Child Labor (RCACL) for a comprehensive Midterm Assessment on the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) Strategic Framework 2023-2028 on February 18-19, 2026, at the Hotel de Fides, Tacloban City.
The two-day activity served as an assessment to evaluate the progress of anti-child labor initiatives, validate accomplishments from 2023 to 2025, and identify strategic directions for the remainder of the framework period. This assessment is a critical component of the national goal to achieve a “child-labor free Philippines,” aligning with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 and the long-term vision of Ambisyon Natin 2040. This proactive approach ensures that the withdrawal of children from hazardous labor remains a top priority for all member agencies.
The event saw high-level engagement and active participation from the RCACL member agencies, including the DILG, DENR, DEPDEV, Plan International, TESDA, PNP, PIA, PSA, DSWD, DEPED, and NAPC. Alongside DOLE-RO8 regional focal persons and community facilitators, these representatives provided crucial field-level perspectives to ensure that regional anti-child labor interventions remain grounded in actual implementation experiences.
The first day of the event was marked by an in-depth discussion of the framework’s components and a rigorous review of field-level implementation. Atty. Cecilio I. Baleña, DOLE-RO8 Mediator-Arbiter, opened the session with his welcoming remarks, followed by a detailed overview of the PPACL Strategic Framework 2023-2028 by Regional CLPEP Focal Ms. Kirstine Ranz C. Orara.
Notable highlights of the event were the workshops where participants focused on the validation of accomplishments across the framework’s six primary components, ensuring that reported interventions–ranging from social behavioral change to law enforcement–are accurate and consistent. The activity likewise served as a venue for the RCACL member agencies to conduct a SWOT analysis session where RCACL member agencies and community facilitators identified critical challenges and gaps in policy, administrative, and operational areas based on actual field implementation realities.
Also present and provided significant inputs during the assessment were TSSD Chief Virgilio A. Doroja, Jr., and Heads of the different Field Offices of DOLE-RO8.
