Manila — The Institute for Labor Studies (ILS), represented by Mr. Marcos S. Ursua, participated in the National Council Against Child Labor (NCACL)’s Knowledge Management, Monitoring, and Evaluation Technical Working Group (KMME TWG) meeting on March 11, 2025, at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Building in Intramuros, Manila.

Presided over by KMME TWG Chairperson Director Adeline T. De Castro of the DOLE Planning Service, the discussion focused on the following: (1) implementation of the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) Strategic Framework 2023-2028, (2) updates on the working child situation in the Philippines as of November 2024, and (3) hiring of a consultant for the PPACL Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Framework.

The PPACL Strategic Framework 2023-2028, has the goal of “child labor-free Philippines,” with six components: (1) Social and Behavioral Change Campaign Against Child Labor, (2) NCACL Strengthening, Expansion, Localization, and Harmonization of Efforts, (3) Enforcement of Child Labor Laws and Other Relevant Laws and Policies, (4) Access to Social Protection, (5) Knowledge Management on Child Labor, and (6) Monitoring and Evaluation. This strategic framework is aligned with the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028.

During the discussion, the KMME TWG shall commit to improving data collection through the Child Labor Monitoring System (CLMS), enhancing profiling accuracy through the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), and procuring digital tools for tracking child labor statistics. The KMME TWG also outlined priority activities for 2025, including finalizing the Terms of Reference for hiring a consultant for the PPCAL M&E Framework for funding of the International Labour Organization (ILO), a mid-term assessment of the PPACL Strategic Framework in September, and the release of survey results from the rider module.

The KMME TWG is attended by its member-government agencies such as DOLE (Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns, Planning Service, ILS), Philippine Statistics Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, the National Economic and Development Authority, as well as partner-stakeholders such as the ILO and Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALLWIES).

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