DSWD Field Office VIII yesterday gathered 30 child laborers from Kananga town of Leyte, to signal the full swing pilot implementation of the SHIELD Against Child Labor Project in said locality. The number represents the total 243 children from the pilot barangays of Tugpong and Rizal. Sheila (not her real name) , 10 years old, of Barangay Tugpong sees her situation as normal for a young girl to help her family. Though she attends school, it is customary for her to absent from classes twice a week to help clean the farm where her father is a tenant. At a tender age, she is exposed to a hazardous condition. Whenever she goes to work, she is armed with “bolo,” which is indeed dangerous. Yesterday’s activity was altogether a fun day for children, with lots of parlor games and a puppet show. Jointly, a team representing the Social Technology Bureau under O.I.C. Director Helen Suzara and the Social Marketing Service headed by Joel Espejo, all of the DSWD Cental Office, Manila, assisted in the conduct of the event. The group distributed advocacy caps and fans ,story books, flyers, flip charts, and brochures to the children, local government units, and partner – national government and non-government entities. DSWD Regional Director Restituto Macuto gave a meaningful opening message, in this half day children’s activity co-organized by the Social Technology Unit of the DSWD Field Office VIII headed by Marichu Espejo Bustillos . The Social Technology Bureau conceptualized the project in its effort to eliminate child labor, primarily pilot-testing in Ormoc and Kananga of Leyte province, Catanauan of Quezon, and Labo, Paracale and Jose Panganiban of Camarines Norte. #DSWDMayMalasakit #DSWDParaSaNakakarami