The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has recorded nearly one million Filipino child laborers in the country in 2021.
In a statement, Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte said the PSA recorded a total of 935,120 minors working in 2021, which was more than the 596,919 documented child laborers in 2020.
In addition, he stated that Northern Mindanao had the highest share of the country's child laborers at 14.8 percent as of October 2021 across regions.
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showed that over 20,000 underage laborers have been profiled in the Davao region in the last four years.
Duterte stated that the prevalence of child labor in many parts of the world, including the Philippines, has risen dramatically over the years.
He said this is a concerning trend as children should be learning in classrooms and not working in factories or fields.
The Davao City Congressman also stated that he intends to cooperate with the parents of child laborers to eliminate child labor in Davao City.
