AsiaDHRRA, PhilDHRRA, and the Community Organizers Multiversity’s (COM) second mission in BARMM was organized through a series of meetings with the Ministries of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform (MAFAR) and the Basic Higher Technical Education (MBHTE) on March 20, 2025.
The meeting with MAFAR under Minister Mohammad S. Yacob, PhD, has presented the RISE-UP Project’s overview, research findings on the prevalence and conditions of child labor in the agricultural sector in South Upi, the capacity-building conducted with the civil society organizations and the planned provision of livelihood support to families to address child labor’s root causes. The discussion has progressed on a possible collaboration between MAFAR and COM to address child labor through policy development, agricultural input and support provision, and local government engagement. Further, MAFAR’s complementary services, which are aligned with local government programs, will support COM and collaboration on farmers’ empowerment, policy creation, and input provision, which were also considered during the dialogue.
The challenges and risk factors of child labor were highlighted during a meeting with the Bangsamoro Basic Education or MBHTE and presided over by the Director General, Abdullah Junn P. Salik, Jr, MPA. Exposure to natural and mechanical hazards, low income, limited access to enterprise opportunities, and cultural practices leading to early child labor were outlined. In addition, policies and programs on child protection programs were mostly observed in child abuse and bullying in the school system and not practiced outside the academic environment. Some of the significant results of the discussion are to develop a memorandum of understanding between stakeholders for collaboration, initiate a focus group discussion with teachers about child labor sensitivity, and create an awareness program through curriculum integration.
AsiaDHRRA’s RISE-UP Project is an EU-funded initiative in “Harnessing CSO Capacities for ECL Action through multi-Stakeholder Partnerships and Agri-Entrepreneurship Project” in partnership with Kaanib Foundation Inc., Community Organizers Multiversity, and PhilDHRRA.
