COTABATO CITY – In promotion of gainful and equal employment opportunities in the Bangsamoro, a total of 961 beneficiaries of Bangsamoro Child Labor Sagip Program and the Special Program for the Employment of Students received financial aid and stipends from the Ministry of Labor and Employment during the series of payout activities in Kabacan, North Cotabato; Cotabato City; and Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.
The payout activity held in Kabacan, N.Cot on Dec. 6-7 has served 107 families of children who were engaged in child labor. These families from the Special Geographic Areas received P20,000.00 in cash as start-up capital to finance their chosen business undertaking. This program aims to remove children from hazardous working condition by providing livelihood to uplift their economic condition.
Around 210 SPES beneficiaries from the same cluster received P3,900.00 as payment for the 30-day work rendered. The payment of wages was based on the minimum wage set in the locality by the Bangsamoro Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board, where 40% of the total wage is borne by the ministry while the remaining 60% is shouldered by the agency where the SPES beneficiary is deployed.
Minister Muslimin G. Sema, who graced the payout activity, said to the beneficiaries to give value on the programs and projects that the Bangsamoro government is providing. He also hoped that the amount received by the beneficiaries will be used accordingly to its purpose.
Meanwhile, the payout activity held at the Field Office in Cotabato City on Dec. 14 assisted 108 BCLSP and 210 SPES beneficiaries.
Ruth Macion, a resident of Cotabato City and a mother of a BCLSP beneficiary, expressed her gratitude to the Bangsamoro government. “Nakakatuwa na may ganitong tulong mula sa BARMM,” Macion said.
Macion also said that she did not expect to receive aid from the ministry. “Salamat talaga sa MOLE-BARMM,” Macion added.
Subsequently, 107 BCLSP and 219 SPES beneficiaries of Maguindanao received P20,000.00 financial aid and P3,600.00 stipends respectively, during the payout activity held at the Maguindanao Field Office in Capiton, DOS, Maguindanao.
The payout activities assisted by Director Sara Jane S. Sinsuat of the Bureau of Employment, Promotion and Welfare, disbursed more than P8 million to cover financial aid and allowances.
Also in the activities were Mohammad Abujihad Sema, chief of staff, together with the supervising labor and employment officers of the SGA, Cotabato City, and Maguinadanao namely Moctar S. Macalipat, Dimaporo Diocolano, and Hamsa S. Nul. (MOLE-ICD)