LEGAZPI CITY: With six provinces and eight cities which government statistics dubbed as the country’s “stand-by” capital, Bicol region also holds second highest rank in child labor incidence.

Quoting statistics from the 2011 National Statistics Office (NSO) and the International Labor Organization, Central Luzon tops the list with 316,000 child labor incidence followed by Bicol region with 300,000. Coming third is Western Visayas with 250,000 followed by Northern Mindano with 248,000, and Central Visayas with 225,000.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional director Nathaniel Lacambra said that these children were involved in hazardous work and were forced by the circumstances, absence of employment or not enough livelihood sources of their parents.

Last year, Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda of Albay province said that based on the National Economic Development Authority study, Bicol region also topped the list in unemployment, making the region as the “idle” capital. Salceda said that the government should create more employment opportunities with minor-aged children attending school to finish a course even on vocational courses.

Labor officials had warned establishments from hiring minor-age children as employees saying that entertainment joints such as beer houses and nightclub owners are being monitored for hiring entertainers age below 18.

According to Lacambra, on December 7, his office will hold in Legazpi a five-kilometer in single event marathon called “the run against child labor” aimed at raising the people’s level of awareness on the menace of child labor. The Labor official said that participants will pay a registration fee of P200, adding that the raised funds will be used in the campaign against child labor to minimize if not stop totally the incidence.

Governor Salceda urged business establishment owners, professionals and government officials and the public in general to join the fun-run for the people to feel our concern against child labor.

The Labor official said that based on statistics, the country has 30 million children under ages of five to 17, and that an estimated 5.4 million are considered working children. The statistics also showed that majority of these children are engaged in hazardous working condition like prostitution, agriculture, fishing, mining, construction, factory work, street vending, and house-helpers. The latest these children are now being utilized by criminal syndicates as fronts in peddling illegal trades.