Characteristics of working children in the Philippines

• Main Author: Lim, Cristina Teresa N.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2013
• Subjects: Child labor—Philippines; Children—Legal status, laws, etc.—Philippines; Children—Philippines—Social conditions; Poverty—Philippines; Civil Rights and Discrimination; Family, Life Course, and Society; Sociology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/5956
• Institution: De La Salle University

It is the right of every child to have a healthy environment, formal education and a loving family. However, poverty forces a child to work even in dangerous streets. In the Philippines, Republic Act no. 7610 otherwise known as Child Protection Law defined children as persons below eighteen (18) years of age or those over but are unable to fully take care of themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a physical or mental disability or condition. Despite the existing legislations in the country and with the United Nations declarations promoting the protection of children from exploitation, the problem in the country continues to exist. Not that globalization is underway, but children are at risk of further exploitation. The paper aims to determine the extent of child labor in the country and describe the conditions of their work. The analysis of this paper made use of statistical data from the National Statistics Office (NSO). Descriptive methods of analysis using tabular and graphical presentations were utilized in analyzing the data. The results of the study showed that the continued pauperization in the countryside, especially in the urban centers brought about by population growth and capitalism, had increased the number of children joining the labor force. Although progress had been made in promoting and protecting the rights of these children in the area of national legislation and policy, many remain unreached, especially children among the poorest families, who contribute significantly to family income. This limited access of children to raise basic services further put them into the life of drudgery that would impair their development, hence, their future in general.