The Quezon City government has created a special unit mandated to protect minors from forced labor and exploitation by providing them and their families with target-specific programs and interventions.
Mayor Joy Belmonte announced over the weekend the formation of “Task Force Sampaguita,” also called the Quezon City Interagency Task Force for the Special Protection of Street Children and Child Laborers.
The task force was set up through Executive Order 41 series of 2022 to address the prevalence of sampaguita vendors along the city’s commercial thoroughfares.
In a joint surveillance activity conducted by the QC Public Employment Service Office (PESO) and the Social Services Development Department (SSDD) along Tomas Morato last August, children selling sampaguita necklaces have reportedly proliferated notably with the onset of the holiday season.
Belmonte will serve as the chairperson of the task force, with PESO head Rogelio Reyes as co-chairman and SSDD chief Fe Macale as vice-chairperson.
There will also be 17 member-offices, as well as two People’s Council representatives from the business sector and children’s rights sector.
Task Force Sampaguita will craft a local action plan based on the guidelines of Republic Act 7610 as amended by RA 9231, or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, Presidential Decree No. 1563 or the Anti-Mendicancy Law, and other related legislative measures.
The body will also lay down the policy-framework for a city-wide profiling of street children and their families, as well as develop a referral system to relevant agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, non-government organizations, and local government units.
Linkages with the Department of Labor and Employment will also be enhanced to avail of national government services for child laborers.
Other issues and concerns affecting street children and child laborers will also be addressed by the task force.
At present, the task force assists the families of profiled children to secure QCitizen IDs especially for solo parents, livelihood assistance, educational assistance for children-at-risk, Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) for parents, and to coordinate with their Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children.
Profiled children from other cities are escorted back to their places of residence in coordination with the LGUs. The public is enjoined to report cases of street children and child labor at QC Hotline 122.