ALTHOUGH a law prohibits the employment of persons below 15 years old, this poverty stricken nation of more than 90 million people is teeming with child workers.

Due to grinding poverty, which has been forcing more and more to seek employment abroad, parents encourage their children to stop going to school and just look for jobs.

And it is certainly sickening to note that some of these minors are engaged in hazardous work and, in some instances, even commit heinous crimes. Allowing children to be exploited and abused is unconscionable.

Thus, we support the view of a group of legislators, including Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, that if we are to eradicate child labor, the government must first address the problem of widespread poverty in the country.

“These minors need to enjoy their childhood… develop mentally and physically under the care of their parents,” said Romualdez, a banker, educator, and lawyer who champions the cause of the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the youth.

The freshman solon from Leyte called on the Department of Labor and Employment to go after fireworks factories in Bulacan that continue to employ the services of minors.

Sharing Romualdez’ sentiments are An Waray Rep. Florencio Noel, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Lani Cayetano, and Rep. Joel Villanueva of the Citizens Battle Against Corruption.

Despite the fact that the country is a signatory to many international laws and conventions on child labor, there are still unscrupulous employers who capitalize on the children’s docility and illiteracy to make them do dehumanizing and hazardous work on starvation pay.

Villanueva said this systematic exploitation renders children physically and mentally impaired.

We concede that poor families have no choice but to require their kids to work to enable them to survive today’s high cost of living.

But the government will court public disenchantment and unpopularity if it ignores the plight of the country’s child workers.

It’s time to intensify the nationwide campaign against child abuse and child exploitation.

DESPITE the government’s nationwide campaign against child exploitation, the Philippines is still teeming with child workers, who are forced to drop out of school not only in the countryside but also in Metropolitan Manila and other urban centers across the country.

Clearly, the sight of thousands of such children, working as scavengers, farmers, vendors, barkers and laborers, suggests that grinding poverty remains a major problem of the government in a country where corruption is pervasive and deep-rooted.

We agree with Keiko Numi, a regional official of the United Nations’ International Labor Organization, that when families have limited resources, children as young as five are forced to work at the cost of dropping out of school, risking their health or even their lives.

The poor must often choose whether to educate their children or send them to work to help support the family, said the ILO official during a ceremony held in Manila last Thursday to mark World Day Against Child Labor.

Although the number of Filipino children in the labor force declined from 913,000 in 2003 to 774,00 in 2005, education department data showed that the school participation rate dropped to a seven-year low of 38.22 percent in the 2006-2007 school year, said Numi.

It is lamentable that in some areas, children attending schools walk long distances, lack quality instruction and study materials and often have to study in poor physical facilities because of lack of financial resources.

In a speech, the UN official underscored the need to ensure that child laborers are successfully integrated in schools and that they do not return to work until they grow up and acquire education and training.

Should the state allow the country’s youth to join the labor force to supplement the family income? We do not think so. It’s incumbent upon the authorities to implement pro-poor programs designed to give child workers access to education.

But it is heartening to note that the country has launched a four-year project to raise school enrolment levels in areas that have a high incidence of child labor. The project will be implemented in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Leyte, Davao del Sur and Compostela Valley.

A project of the Department of Labor and Employment, World Vision Development Foundation and the Christian Children’s Fund, the program aims to educate the children and provide the parents with income sources.

We cannot afford to have an oversupply of school dropouts and child workers if we are to join the world’s fraternity of economic giants.

THE Department of Labor and Employment on Thursday announced the launching of a four-year school project for child workers, which highlights the observance of the World Day Against Child Labor.

Labor Secretary Marianito Roque in a statement said the project will be implemented by the government in areas where there is a high incidence of child labor.

“Educating the children while providing their parents with income sources are long-term solution seen to break the bondage of poverty that ties child workers and their families to child labor,” Roque said.

The areas to be covered by the project are Metro Manila, Bulacan, Camarines Norte, Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Oriental, Cebu, Leyte, Davao del Sur and Compostela Valley.

The Labor secretary said the project will be formalized by the government on Friday with the signing of an agreement with the World Vision Development Fund and the Christian Children’s Fund.

The school project is called ABK 2 or Pag-aaral ng mga Bata Para sa Kinabukasan), and TEACH which stands for Take Every Action for Children. It will be support with grants coming from the US Labor Department.

The labor chief said ABK 2 will reducing child workers’ barrier in attending formal schooling.

At the same time, the Labor department will connect parents of beneficiaries to its pro-poor programs that will provide livelihood opportunities.

Fewer children are being drafted into the Philippines labor force, but keeping them in school remains a major challenge, a United Nations official said Thursday.

The number of Filipino children aged between five and 14 who are in the labor force has fallen from 913,000 in 2003 to 774,000 in 2005, said Keiko Niimi, a regional official of the UN’s International Labor Organization.

“Despite all efforts, the fight against child labour remains a challenge,” she said during a ceremony in Manila to mark World Day Against Child Labor.

While the figures signal improvement, Niimi cited troubling Education department data that showed the school participation rate dropping to a seven-year low of 38.22 percent in the 2006-2007 school year.

The poor must often choose whether to educate their children or send them to work to help support the family, she said. In some cases, children attending schools must walk long distances, lack quality instruction and study materials, and often have to study in poor physical facilities.

– Anthony Vargas with AFP

Poverty has many faces. Hunger, out-of-school youth, illegal settlers. One of the most invidious however is making children work to help support their families.

It is the right of children to be nurtured, to go to school, to play, to be nourished and have fun and grow up and have a normal childhood. It is the duty of families, government and society at large to provide the wherewithal, resources and services for the children to have food and sustenance, education, recreation, safe environment—and all else needed to ensure their well-being.

The National Statistics Office estimates that there are 4 million child laborers in the country as of 2004, an 8-percent increase from 3.7 million in 1996. More than half are engaged in the worst forms of child labor, while around 30 percent, or 1.25 million of these working children are not attending school. Many of the children are compelled to work in crop plantations, mining, quarries and factories. These illegal and immoral practices are being openly done with the tacit knowledge of their parents and the shameful individuals and businesses which employ them.

The International Labor Organization says that the Philippines have a long history of legislation that protects the rights and welfare of children. The Labor Code of the Philippines, which was enacted into law in 1974, set the minimum age of employment at 15 years and prohibited the employment of persons below 18 years of age in hazardous undertakings. Presidential Decree No. 603 (The Child and Youth Welfare Code) allows the employment of children aged 16 years and below only if they perform light work, which is not harmful to their safety, health or normal development, and which is not prejudicial to their studies. Strict guidelines were laid down on their rates of pay, hours of work and other conditions of employment. An employment permit also has to be secured from the Department of Labor.

Following the spirit of the 1987 Constitution, national and local legislation have given priority to the protection of children from abuse and exploitation. There is the 1992 Republic Act No. 7610 (Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act). This was amended in 1994 thru Republic Act No. 7658 reaffirming the minimum age of employment to 15 years, and 18 years and above for hazardous work. Republic Act 7160 (The Local Government Code of 1991) includes provisions for the proper development and welfare of children at the basic political level, the barangay. It enjoins local officials to promote and support activities for the protection and total development of children, particularly those below seven years of age, and adopt measures to prevent and eradicate drug abuse, child abuse, and juvenile delinquency.

These are just some of the laws but in spite of them, child labor continues. A child advocacy group sums up this malaise effectively: “We regard the youth as the future movers of our country. They will inherit the pride and heritage which has been earned by the sweat, blood and tears of our ancestors. Thus, they must be entitled to the proper preparation to lead this country. And we firmly believe that in forcing these very children to give all of that up just to be able to put food on their families’ tables puts that same future in grave danger.”

“The government and society, in their own respectful way, are willing to aid in the solution to this problem. But it is a fact that it is not as simple as passing new laws but in the fortification of proper implementation. It is therefore imperative for all people of this nation to voice out this concern and to be willing to truly usher in the solution to this ever-growing plight.”

The author teaches at the De La Salle Professional Schools Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Graduate School of Business. He acknowledges the inputs of two of his students in the above column. He welcomes comments at dennis.berino-@dlsps.edu.ph.