MANILA, Philippines — Child labor cases in the country has dropped by 45 percent from 935,000 to 509,000 as a result of steady support provided by the Marcos administration for anti-child labor initiatives, according to the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). The Philippine's successful anti-child labor campaign experience took center stage at the recent Sixth Global Conference on the Elimination of Child Labor in Morocco to assess the progress and define the next steps toward ending child labor. Regional Director Roy L. Buenafe, who represented the DOLE in the conference, attributed the department's successful anti-child labor campaign to the government's clear policy direction, disciplined management of funds down to the local level, and interventins guided by reliable data. "Steady funding for anti-child labor initiatives, closer coordination among agencies, and data-based actions under the Philippine Program Against Child Labor of the Marcos Jr. administration contributed to the improvement of the lives of child laborers and their families," Buenafe said. Buenafe cited a 45 percent drop in child labor cases from 935,000 in 2021 to 509,000 in 2024 under the Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) as he highlighted how targeted programs, coordinated enforcement, and community-based monitoring help bring children out of hazardous work and back into school. "These initiatives align with UN Sustainable Development Goal Target 8.7 on the eradication of forced labor, modern slavery, human trafficking, and the worst forms of child labor," added Buenafe. At the side event on ending child labor in fisheries and aquaculture, the Philippines noted ongoing efforts to identify affected children and provide them with support to remove them from labor, as it reported that agriculture, including fisheries and aquaculture, accounted for 64.4 percent of child labor cases in 2024.