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Child labor in the Philippines

Child labor in the Philippines is the employment of children in hazardous occupations below the age of fifteen (15), or without the proper conditions and requirements below the age of fifteen (15), where children are compelled to work on a regular basis to earn a living for themselves and their families, and as a result are disadvantaged educationally and socially. So to make it short, it is called child labor when it is forced.[1][2]

In 2012, the National Statistics Office (NSO) has said there are currently around 5.5 million child laborers aged 5–17 in the country, around 2.1 million of whom are exposed to environments that are considered hazardous.[3][needs update] The International Labour Organization estimates that 55.3% of these children undertake hazardous work in an agricultural setting.[4][needs update]

Definitions edit

Republic Act No. 7610, known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, gives the followings definitions pertinent to understanding the Child Labor situation in the Philippines:

  • Children – refers to 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/condition. (Section 3)[1]
  • Child labor – refers to the illegal employment of children below the age of fifteen (15), where they are not directly under the sole responsibility of their parents or legal guardian, or the latter employs other workers apart from their children, who are not members of their families, or their work endangers their life, safety, health and morals or impairs their normal development including schooling. This also extends to the situation of children below the age of eighteen (18) who are employed in hazardous occupations. (Section 12)[1]

The joint project of the Philippine National Statistics Office and International Labour Organization made distinctions on the kinds of work that children subjected to.[4]

Hazardous work edit

  • Chemical – work involves exposure to: Dust (e.g. silica, dust, standing dust), Liquid (e.g. oil, gasoline, mercury), Mist, fumes, or vapors (e.g. paint, insecticides or pesticide spraying), Gas (e.g. oxygen, ammonia), etc.
  • Physical – work involves exposure to: Noise, Temperature or humidity, Pressure, Inadequate illumination or lighting, Slip, trip, or fall hazards, Insufficient exit for prompt escape, Congested lay-out Radiation, ultraviolet, or microwave, etc.
  • Biological – work involves exposure to: Viral, Bacterial, Fungal, Parasitic (e.g. drinking water affected with amoeba), etc.

Permissible work edit

Children are allowed to undertake work under certain conditions.[5]

  • A child below 15 years old can be permitted to work if he/she is under supervision by family senior/ parents provided that the child works directly under the sole responsibility of his/her parents or legal guardian and where only members of his/her family are employed.
  • The child's employment does not endangers his/her life, safety, health, and morals, or impairs his/her normal development.
  • The parent or legal guardian shall provide the said child with the prescribed primary and/or secondary education.
  • The employer first secures a work permit for the child from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Children aged 15 to below 18 years of age are permitted to work in any economic activity not considered child labor, but not more than eight (8) hours a day and in no case beyond forty (40) hours a week. They shall not be allowed to work between 10:00 P.M. and 6:00 A.M. of the following day, and employer should provide the child with access to at least elementary and secondary education.[5]

Current status edit

In its report Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor in 2013, the U.S. Department of Labor estimated the percentage of working children aged 5 to 14 to be around 11% which corresponds to about 2,180 million children. 65% of these children were found in the agricultural sector, 5% in the industrial sector and 29% engaged in domestic service.[6] The 2014 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor reported 13 goods produced exclusively by child labor in the Philippines. These included 8 agricultural goods (namely sugarcane, bananas, coconuts, corn, hogs, rice, rubber, and tobacco). Gold mining, pornography and pyrotechnics complete the list.

Philippine legislation on child labor edit

Historical evolution of child labor laws in the Philippines edit

The concern for the welfare of Children being employed to work started in the Philippines as early as 1923.[7] The American colonial government of that time enacted the very first set of rules and regulations in the country regarding Child-labor through Act No. 3071, also known as "An Act to Regulate the Employment of Women and Children in Shops, Factories, Industrial, Agricultural and Mercantile Establishments, and Other Place of Labor in the Philippine Islands, to Provide Penalties for Violations Hereof and for Other Purposes".[8] The enforcement of this law was eventually overseen by the Woman and Child Labor Section of the Inspection Division of the then Bureau of Labor in 1925. When the Philippines declared independence from American rule in 1946, all existing laws enacted under the former regime were replaced by Republic Acts. Act No. 3071 was renamed R.A. 695 thereafter and the implementation was entrusted to the Women and Minors Division of the former Bureau of Labor Standards, in 1957.[7]

In 1932, the Philippines enacted into law to codify its penal laws, they came to be known as the Revised Penal Code (RPC).[9] The RPC contains several provisions barring certain types of child work, such as "Exploitation of Child Labor" (Article 273) which prohibits an employer from retaining a child worker in service against his or her will under the pretext of reimbursing a debt incurred by the child's ascendants. The PRC also includes a clause regarding the "Exploitation of Minors" (Article 278). This provision prohibits the employment of a minor less than sixteen (16) years of age in what the code describes as "dangerous exhibits". Other provisions of the RPC relating to slavery, prostitution, corruption, illegal detention, and kidnapping of minors are all applicable to child workers. The RPC remains in effect to this day in the Philippines.[7]

Two years after Philippine independence from American control, the Republic became a member state of the International Labour Organization on 15 June 1948.[10] Since then, the Philippines have ratified a number of international conventions adopted by ILO, relating to child labor. The country first ratified in 1953, ILO Convention No. 90, which prohibits the employment of children in industry during night time and in 1960,[11] the government ratified ILO Convention No. 59, which fixes the minimum age of employment for industry at 15 years.[12] The convention, however, allows younger workers to be employed in undertakings which only members of the employer's family are employed, but only if the work in question is not a danger to the life, health, or morals of the children employed. ILO Convention No. 77, which requires the medical examination and subsequent re-examination of children as a prerequisite for their employment,[13] was also put into effect in 1960. The ILO Convention No. 138 or the Minimum Age Convention of 1973[14] was not ratified in the Philippines until 1998.[15]

During the Martial Law, a handful of Presidential Decrees (P.D.'s) were enforced concerning child labor laws in the Philippines. One of which is P.D. no. 148 which amended R.A. 679, the Woman and Child Labor Law. The new decree simplified the complex provisions of R.A. 679 regarding confusing age limits imposed by this law under different types of undertakings allowing "any person between 14 and 18 years of age may be employed in any non-hazardous undertaking."[16] It is important to note that P.D. no 148 was in direct disagreement with ILO Convention No. 59. The new law didn't last that long since only a year after, P.D. no 148 was amended by the passage of P.D. no 442, otherwise known as the Labor Code. The new law raised the minimum age of employment from 14 to 15 years old, and has maintained the previous minimum age for hazardous undertakings at 18 years old. The Labor Code failed, however, to include the terms and conditions of employment of children previously provided by R.A. 679, as amended by P.D. no. 148 creating a huge gap in the new law. This was eventually addressed through P.D. 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code, a codification of different provisions for the well-being of all children.[7]

Child labor laws in the Philippines edit

After the fall of the Marcos regime in 1986, increasing demands for reforms in government policies, legislation and programs affecting children made the government respond by ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) on 26 July 1990. The CRC entered into force as an international agreement on 2 September 1990. The convention directs the ratifying countries to "recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development".[17]

To comply with the mandate of the CRC, the government enacted R.A. 7610, "An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination, Providing Penalties for its Violation and for Other Purposes" on 17 June 1992.[7] Initially, the act was lauded for its innovation in promoting child welfare, especially those found in extremely difficult situations. However, the act was also severely criticized because of how its provisions severely changed existing policies regarding Child labor laws. Article VIII, Section 12, of R.A. 7610 legalized the employment of all children below 15 years of age, but only if the employer is able to secure a working permit from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).[7]

Public opinion and international organizations like the ILO and the UNICEF, along with the local Department of Justice pushed to amend R.A. 7610, Article VII, Section 12, as it was in flagrant violation of ILO convention no. 59. A new law called R.A. 7658 or "An Act Prohibiting the Employment of Children below 15 Years of Age in Public and Private Undertakings" was passed in October 1993 for this purpose.[7] R.A. 7658 allows only two exceptions to the prohibition on employment below the minimum age, first for the concerned child to "work directly under the sole responsibility of the child's parents or legal guardian and where only members of the employer's family are employed" and second, "where a child's employment in public entertainment or information through cinema, theater, radio or television is essential". Additionally, the new law requires the employers to first secure for the child a work permit from the DOLE before the child can begin to work.[18]

In 2003, the Philippines passed a new law known as R.A. 9231 or the "Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act".[19] This law specifically limits the employment of children below 15 years old, with the same exceptions as R.A. 7658, with additional provisions regarding restrictions on the number of hours children are allowed to work, provisions on expanding working children's access to education, social, medical, and legal assistance.

Laws and regulations related to child labor edit

Standard Yes/No Age Related Legislation
Minimum age of work Yes 15 Labor Code; an act instituting policies for the protection and

welfare of domestic workers

Minimum age for hazardous work Yes 18 Labor Code
List of hazardous occupations

prohibited for children

Yes - Republic Act No. 679, as further amended by Presidential Decree

No. 148, Woman and Child Labor Law, Department Order 4

Prohibition of forced labor Yes - Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, Republic Act

No. 10364

Prohibition of child trafficking Yes - Act providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child

labor and affording stronger protection for the working child,

Republic Act No. 9231; Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons

Act of 2012; Special Protection of Children Against Abuse,

Exploitation and Discrimination Act

Prohibition of commercial sexual

exploitation of children

Yes - Act providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child

labor and affording stronger protection for the working child;

Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation

and Discrimination Act; Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009,

Republic Act No. 9775; Cybercrime Prevention Act

Prohibition of using children in illicit

activities

Yes - Act providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child

labor and affording stronger protection for the working child,

Republic Act No. 9231; Special Protection of Children Against

Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act; Comprehensive

Dangerous Drugs Act

Minimum age for compulsory military

recruitment

Yes 18 Memorandum Circular No. 13 on Selective Enlistment/

Reenlistment of the Department of National Defense and the

Armed Forces of the Philippines; Special Protection of Children

Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act

Minimum age for voluntary military

service

Combat: Yes
Non-combat: Yes
18/17 Memorandum Circular No. 13 on Selective Enlistment/

Reenlistment of the Department of National Defense and the

Armed Forces of the Philippines; 2003 Declaration on Ratifying

the Optional Protocol

Compulsory education age Yes 18 Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013
Free public education Yes - Philippine Constitution

Despite government efforts on amendments and ratification of laws and policies regarding child labor, the present policies and legislation responsible for the protection and rights of child workers in the Philippines still remain scattered among the different laws of the country.[20]

Causes and effects edit

There are different reasons to why children are pushed to work below the legal age of 18. Listed below are some of the main problems.

Causes edit

Poverty edit

According to a survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority or the NSCB in 2009 and released in 2011, 26.5% of the Filipino population is considered poor. This amounts to 23.1 million Filipinos who live below the poverty threshold. The poverty threshold refers to the minimum income a family or individual must earn in order to be considered "not poor". An individual is considered poor if he or she is below the annual per capita poverty threshold of P16,871. Recent research cites that poverty incidence among Filipino families have been increasing. Poverty incidence percentage declined from 21% in 2006 to 20.5% in 2009 and to 19.7% in 2012; however due to growing population the number of families rose from 3.8 million to 4.03 million and to 4.2 million respectively. Furthermore, a family of five would need an average of P7,890 to cover basic food and non-food needs.[21]

The widespread poverty and unemployment rates in the country means that poor or low-income households are vulnerable to income and employment shocks. Lacking in physical assets that may be sold or offered as collateral in order to reduce or prevent interruptions to their income streams, poor households may resort to sending their younger members to work as a risk-reducing strategy. Especially during economic downturns when adult unemployment is rising and incomes are falling, child work provides a way for augmenting household incomes. It is thus reasonable to expect that the incidence of child labor will be higher among poor households than non-poor households and that such incidence should rise especially during periods of economic slowdown or decline.[22]

Educational status edit

In a study done by Anna Leah Colina for Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER),

"The study, which involved 3,859 households, found that children from poor families "are being forced by necessity to augment the family's coffers by working". Leaving school and working is a decision forced upon children by the reality they face each day, the study added. It further revealed that 96 percent of the households surveyed are living below the poverty threshold of their regions. At least 78 percent of respondents said they do not own or have access to land. Instead, most rely on other means to earn a living such as working in mines and plantations. Colina said a lack of access to education is also a "one push factor" to child labor. She said 60 percent of child laborers did not reach the sixth grade, while 44 percent reached Grade 6 before they left school to work.″[23]

This study has shown that most children are either forced to work at an early age or just work to have a steady income to help their families in their financial situations.

Effects edit

Educational edit

Based on the result of the 2013 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass media survey facilitated by the National Statistic Office, 10.6% of ages 6–24 of the country's population is out of school. One of the top reasons is poverty. Insufficient income to sustain schooling constitutes 19.2% of the out of school youth. Another alarming sign is that lack of interest which constitutes to 19.1%. Lastly, 5.5% of both male and female youths are out of school because they are either employed or looking for work. These factors affect the kids as they try to help their families earn more that resulted to the negligence of their education.[24]

A study indicated that school attendance among child workers tends to be sacrificed. Although schooling can be combined with work in many instances, various factors like poverty and the conditions of work may prevent working children from either attending school or benefiting to any significant degree from doing so. Children laboring under hazardous conditions are also at great risk of getting injured or contracting various diseases. Psychological and emotional problems have also been noted among children working under extreme conditions. These effects have implications on the future productive capacity and earning potential of working children. The failure to invest in human capital now means that the working children of today will be the impoverished parents of tomorrow, bearing children who like them will also be pushed prematurely into the labor market to make ends meet. Child labor, especially the worst forms, tends to reproduce the very same conditions that brought it about.[22]

The relationship between child work, bad performance at school, and eventual non-attendance can take various routes as illustrated in many documented cases. In general, time divided between work and studying does not permit a child to focus on the latter, causing him to fall behind with his lessons and to get low grades. Conditions of work are, therefore, critical as they can affect a child's readiness to tackle schoolwork.[22]

Health and abuse edit

Continuous exposure to various hazards in their work environments, especially chemical and biological ones that are invisible, places children's health and lives at great risk. While adults working under the same conditions face similar risks, an argument for minimum health and safety regulations would pose that children are especially vulnerable to work-related illnesses. Their yet undeveloped biological processes make their bodies less resistant to the chemicals and other toxic substances they are regularly exposed to. The lack of proper nutrition, so characteristic among the poor, moreover increases the vulnerability of working children to both the short, and long-term debilitating effects of work, which can cut short economically productive life.[22]

Government organizations edit

In order to progressively eliminate the proliferation of child labor cases in the Philippines, the following agencies, DOLE, DSWD, and CWC jointly collaborate on the programs and actions that assure the prevention of more child labor cases and the protection of the children in the society.

Primary agency edit

Department of Labor and Employment edit

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is the national government agency responsible for formulating policies, the implementation of programs, and they serve as the policy-coordinating program arm of the Executive Branch in the labor and employment field.[25] They are leading the networks in the progressive eradication of child labor through protecting, preventing, and removing the children out of the hazardous and exploitative works, which also includes curing and redeeming them back into society.[26] Their projects, programs, and activities are as follows:

  1. Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL)
  2. Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program
  3. H.E.L.P. M.E. or the Health, Education and training, Livelihood, Protection and prevention, and Monitoring and Evaluation Program
  4. Project Angel Tree
  5. KaSaMa Program
  6. Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES)
  7. Child-Labor Free Barangays

DOLE also enforced national laws such as "The Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act" (R.A. 9208) and "Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act" (R.A. 9231).

Philippine Program Against Child Labor edit

The Philippine Program Against Child Labor (PPACL) is the founded from the National Program Against Child Labor (NPACL) framework. Led by the Department of Labor and Employment, the latter framework was established for the period 2001–2004 to combat child labor. The program partners used it as a way to unify the goals, missions, visions, and other points needed of the programs to be established. When the period ended, the National Child Labor Committee added breadth to the framework by identifying new objectives that would help sustain the environment NPACL fostered and continue preventing the progressing situation of child labor in the Philippines.

In order to protect children and their rights, they proposed seven objectives to influence action:

  • Create a database system that upholds relevant information on the current events and news on child labor. This database system should be remained updated, inviting stakeholders and program partners to continually add significant studies and other resources.
  • Ensure the role of the PPACL in all of the different partnerships and organizations geared to fight against child labor. This will help create a more responsive National Child Labor Committee.
  • Engage the committee by creating awareness of the prevalent child labor issue through encouraging them to participate in the advocacies and other programs established for them.
  • Encourage social workers and other entitled workers to participate in the programs to add more quality and authenticity.
  • Provide opportunities for children in order to avoid the continuance of child labor while protecting their rights as children.
  • Conventionalize the initiatives against child labor to ensure success and better implementation of laws and policies.
  • Establish programs within laws and policies attributed and associated to child labor in order to proceed to a more national level, wherein all cities and provinces will be able to access the programs and initiatives.[27]
Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program edit

For further progression in child labor elimination, DOLE established a program called Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program. To be consistent with the PPACL framework, the objectives of the programs was founded on the framework to promote consistency and efficiency in combating child labor. Its five initiatives are as follows:

  • The Child Labor Knowledge Sharing System was created with updated information and resources contributed by 300 and counting users.
  • The partnerships were strengthened through restructuring the National Child Labor Committee and its sub-committees, and creating the Sagip Batang Manggagawa Quick Action Team and other initiatives to focus on strengthening the regional committees.
  • They provided authentic and effective service through projects such as Kabuhayan para sa Magulang ng Batang Manggagawa (KASAMA) Project, Project Angel Tree, Eliminating Child Labor in the Tobacco Industry (ECLTI) Project, and Integrated Services for Migratory Sugar Workers (I-SERVE SACADAS) Project.
  • They strengthened campaigns and intensified implemented projects to promote the normalization of a child labor-free environment.
  • Guided by the laws and policies enforced, the programs aided in working through the cases and provided legal actions such as creating the Working Child's Permit and closing establishments that promote child labor.[28]
Child Labor-Free Barangays edit

Consistent with the PPACL framework, the project Child Labor-Free Barangay aims what the name insinuates: eliminate child labor in every barangay in every country. Each labor-free barangay will be given a three-year certification and endorsement to DOLE programs once the barangay has completed the criteria and other requirements and submitted the proper documents in being enlisted as child labor-free. They should also have at least four agencies working within their area in order to promote child protection.[29]

List of Barangays edit

As of 2014, the Child Labor-Free Barangay has already saved 53 barangays in 10 regions:[30]

Regions Barangays
National Capital Region
  • Pasong Putik, Quezon City
  • Bagong Barrio, Caloocan City
  • Brgy. 176 (Bagong Silang), Caloocan City
  • Pinagbuhatan, Pasig
  • Sampaloc, Manila
  • Sitio Damayan, Manila
  • Brgy. 91, Manila
  • Brgy. 109, Manila
  • Almanza Uno, las Piñas
  • Brgy. 14 (San Jose), Pasay
  • Brgy. 201 (Kalayaan), Pasay
Cordillera Administrative Region
  • Pide, Sagada
  • Tanulong, Sagada
  • Fidelisan, Sagada
  • Banga-an, Sagada
  • Aguid, Sagada
  • Madongo, Sagada
Region 1
  • Valbuena, Pinili
  • Macayo, Alcala
Region 3
  • Pulong Buhangin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan
  • Pandacaqui, Mexico, Pampanga
Region 4-A
  • Sta. Maria, Calauag, Batangas
  • Madulao, Catanauan, Batangas
  • Sta. Ana, Taytay, Rizal
  • San Juan, Taytay, Rizal
  • Mahabang Parang, Angono, Rizal
  • Kalayaan, Angono, Rizal
Negros Island Region (NIR)
  • Brgy. Canggohob, Mabinay, Negros Oriental
  • Brgy. Manlingay, Mabinay, Negros Oriental
Region 10
  • San Jose, Quezon, Bukidnon
  • Poblacion, Quezon, Bukidnon
  • Salawagan, Quezon, Bukidnon
  • Merangeran, Quezon, Bukidnon
  • Butong, Quezon, Bukidnon
Region 11
  • Kiblawan, Pasig, Davao del Sur
  • Kibuaya, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur
  • Matina Pangi, Davao City, Davao del Sur
  • New Barili, Maco, Compostela Valley
  • New Leyte, Maco, Compostela Valley
Region 12
  • Kematu, T’boli, South Cotabato
  • Poblacion, Malungon, Saranggani
  • Libi, Malapatan, Saranggani
  • Colon, Maasim, Saranggani
  • Bula, Gen. Santos City
  • City Heights, Gen. Santos City
  • Poblacion, Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat
  • EJC Montilla, Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat
  • Saguing, Makilala, North Cotabato
  • Presbitero, Pigcawayan, North Cotabato
  • Poblacion Mother, Cotabato City
  • Rosary Heights 2, Cotabato City
Caraga
  • Doongan, Butuan City, Agusan Del Norte
  • Las Navas, Prosperidad, Agusan Del Sur
HELP ME Convergence Program Against Child Labor edit

HELP ME Convergence Program Against Child Labor mainly aims to provide converged strategies to address issues concerning child labor. HELP ME stands for: H for Health services; E for Education and training, L for Livelihood opportunities for people involved; P for Prevention, protection, and prosecution; M for Monitoring; and lastly, E for Evaluation. It is founded by Cabinet's Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster (HDPRC) together with President Benigno S. Aquino III., Department of Labor and Employment, and Department of Social Welfare and Development. The whole program will keep in line through the following objectives: keeping a monitoring system for the child laborers and the services provided to them, delivering services fitting to the situations of the child laborers, and finally, collaborating with different departments and program partners such as DOLE, DSWD, DepEd, DOH, DILG, DA, DOJ, TESDA, NEDA, CWC, PIA and NCIP.

This convergence program was implemented in the period of 2013 to 2016 with the proposed budget of 9 billion, hoping that by the end of the project, child labor will be eliminated by 75%, or more specifically, to move out at least 893,000 children from the worst forms of child labor.[31]

Project Angel Tree edit

Introduced by the Bureau of Women and Young Workers, the Project Angel Tree works as a connection for child laborers and those stakeholders who wish to collaboratively partake in protecting their rights. This project also contributes to the program Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program. The primary objective of the project is to create an "Angel Tree Community", wherein Angels, which are the donors and contributors, grant the "wishes" of the child laborers. The Angel Tree itself is an image for the cause, wherein it is targeted that through this project, the Angels will continue to "bear fruit" for the children who need them. They call this system value networks, where through them, positive social interaction would be formed and child laborers would be granted access to resources.

In 2010, Project Angel Tree has already helped 15,902 victims of child labor in the country.[32]

Philippine National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children edit

Philippine National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children, otherwise known as Child 21, serves as a guide for initiatives and programs established to promote and protect the rights of the children. The framework includes different activities and strategies in order to provide child-friendly environments, education, protection from threats including sexual exploitation, child labor, and child-trafficking, and other modes of development for the children.[33]

Secondary agencies edit

Department of Social Welfare and Development edit

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is the government agency who provides direction to the intermediaries and implementers concerned with the delivery and development of social welfare and development services. They also develop and enrich existing programs and services for specific groups which includes the children and youth.[34] They hold Child Protection Services in which they reach out on the children for them to recover from the experience of labor and be reintegrated back to their families. They also have Therapeutic Services for the Abused Children for the children to overcome the negative effects of abuse and for them to be able to live a normal and productive life by maximizing every potential a child has.[35] Aside from their services, they are working together with DOLE in H.E.L.P. M.E.

Council for the Welfare of Children edit

The Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) actively advocates against trafficking of children. They incorporate issues and concerns affecting trafficking in children in its development and strategic frameworks and ensures the adoption of such by the LGUs and other stakeholders.[36] They do not directly implement programs for the children; they facilitate or support other agencies and service providers through activities that are in line with their functions.[37]

Non-government organizations edit

Kamalayan Development Foundation edit

In 1995–1997, with the help of International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Kamalayan Development Foundation progressed from Kamalayan Development Center through establishing anti-child recruitment agencies in Davao City, Cebu City, and Ormoc City. This started numerous initiatives which granted children freedom from work enslavement. The organization founded rescue operations, participated in governmental and international campaigns and advocacy activities, imprisoned child labors, and finally, identified and rescued child laborers in plantations, factories, prostitution facilities, and other exploitative locations. The Kamalayan Development Foundation seeks to expand nationwide through the continuous support of ILO.[38]

Visayan Forum Foundation Inc. edit

As a child laborer herself, Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda spearheaded the Visayan Forum Foundation Inc. (VFI) in order to eradicate slavery and human trafficking. Its actions revolve around providing residential care to victims, mainly women and children, of difficult circumstances such as exploitation and child labor. The organization has established programs such as:

  • Centers of Hope: These are safe houses that aim to provide protection and shelter to girl-children and women victims.
  • iFight Movement: This movement seeks to train, equip, and empower the youth with a better mentality for change and information on fighting against human trafficking.
  • Policy and Advocacy Resource Center: This provides volunteers and partners a space to share information in order to develop the current campaigns and update information on the current environment on human trafficking and domestic work.
  • Ventures for Freedom: This educates and provides communities innovative strategies in order to stray away from the possibility of human trafficking and domestic work, tackling the cause to prevent the problem from progressing.[39]

International partnerships edit

International Labour Organization edit

In 1948, the Philippines joined the International Labour Organization (ILO) and has remained one of the active participants in its advocacy. As the country face problems on employment, more specifically, child labor, the partnership paved way to projects that will help in the elimination of child labor. The organization supports the country through promoting growth and developing their skills through quality education, especially for the children who remain victims to employment.

Its social partners include the DOLE, employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Alliance of Progressive Labor (APL), Associated Labor Unions-TUCP (ALU-TUCP), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK) and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP).[40]

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour edit

International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) varies from one country after another, dependent on the current situations of child labor persisting in the country specified. It aims to eliminate child labor in its different sectors, such as direct action, advocacy and awareness, institutional development, social services and poverty alleviation, and legislation and policy development.[41]

ChildFund Philippines edit

In 1971, ChildFund began by partnering with religious organizations, and eventually, the communities in the Philippines. The organization helps secure the future of children vulnerable to exploitation, child labour, and other causes, and builds a community that would ensure their safety and protection. Each year, they contribute $8 million to their partnerships worldwide, including the Philippines, directly helping 250,000 children and counting.

ChildFund is notable for two projects: Child Protection Committees (CPCs), wherein they protect children from dangerous and harmful acts such as bullying, child abuse, exploitation, and other measures in schools. Another would be the Conditional Socialized Education Assistance: Provide educational assistance to children who face inabilities to meet their educational needs.

Currently, their target provinces are: Ifugao, Benguet, Baguio City, Mountain Province, Quezon, Batangas, Laguna, National Capital Region (Metro Manila), Sorsogon, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Ormoc, Misamis Oriental, North Cotobato, South Cotobato, Cotobato, Maguindanao, Sulu, Zamboanga del Norte.[42]

World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. edit

World Vision Development Foundation Inc. performs through partnering with Christians all over the world to seek justice and promote human welfare through various activities and programs such as spreading awareness, changing unjust structures, and transforming the youth by encouraging involvement and protecting their rights. The partnership with organization started when its founder, Robert Willard Pierce, initiated the China Challenge, which led to sponsoring and caring for the poor and needy. It first helped an orphanage called The Good Shepherd's Fold in 1957, and since then, it has continued to move to foster a healthy environment for the children and their families.[43]

ABK3 LEAP edit

Pag-Aaral ng Bata para sa Kinabukasan (ABK) LEAP Livelihoods, Education, Advocacy and Protection to Reduce Child Labor in Sugarcane Areas is the third phase of the ABK Initiative that aims to withdraw children from exploitative labor. In four years, 2011–2015, ABK3 LEAP intends to provide education, raise awareness, support research, contribute to the continuous development, and support data collection on child labor. The project mainly focuses on 11 provinces, namely Batangas, Bukidnon, Camarines Sur, Capiz, Cebu, Davao del Sur, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and North Cotabato. It targets to provide for 52,000 children at ages 5–17 years old and 25,000 households.

The project is implemented by the following organizations: World Vision Development Foundation Inc., ChiWorld Vision Development Foundation, Inc. ChildFund Philippines, Educational Research and Development Assistance Foundation, Inc. (ERDA), Sugar Industry Foundation, Inc. (SIFI), Community Economic Ventures, Inc. (CEVI), and University of the Philippines Social Action and Research for Development Foundation (UPSARDF).[44]

See also edit

General:

References edit

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  2. ^ "What is child labour (IPEC)". ilo.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  3. ^ . Philippine Statistics Authority. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  4. ^ a b "2011 Survey on Children – A Joint Project of the Philippine National Statistics Office and International Labour Organization" (PDF). International Labour Organization. 2011. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b . dole.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  6. ^ . Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g "International Labour Organization-International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC)." International Labour Organization-International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC). 1998. Retrieved 1 July 2015. http://ipecphils.tripod.com/phillaws//p2_1.htm#top.
  8. ^ . PhilippineLaw.info. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  9. ^ "The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines" (PDF). United Nations. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  10. ^ "The ILO in the Philippines." Asia Pacific Decent Work Decade 2006-2015, 2015, 3. Retrieved 1 July 2015. http://www.ilo.org/manila/publications/WCMS_371657/lang--en/index.htm.
  11. ^ "Convention C090 – Night Work of Young Persons (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1948 (No. 90)". ilo.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  12. ^ "Convention C059 – Minimum Age (Industry) Convention (Revised), 1937 (No. 59)". ilo.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  13. ^ "Convention C077 – Medical Examination of Young Persons (Industry) Convention, 1946 (No. 77)". ilo.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  14. ^ "Convention C138 – Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138)". ilo.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  15. ^ "Ratifications of ILO conventions: Ratifications by Convention". ilo.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  16. ^ "R.A. 679". lawphil.net. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  17. ^ UN General Assembly, Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November 1989, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577, p. 3, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b38f0.html [accessed 1 July 2015]
  18. ^ (PDF). dole.gov.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  19. ^ "R.A. 9231". lawphil.net. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  20. ^ (PDF). dol.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  21. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  22. ^ a b c d Emmanuel F. Esguerra. "An Analysis of the Causes and Consequences of Child Labor in the Philippines".
  23. ^ Torres, Joe (29 January 2015). . ucanews.com. Archived from the original on 14 January 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  24. ^ . Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  25. ^ . dole.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  26. ^ "ENHANCING THE USE OF THE CBMS STUDY RESULTS THRU DOLE PROGRAMS" (PDF). pep-net.org. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  27. ^ Amat, Zoren. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2015.
  28. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  29. ^ . GOVPH. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  30. ^ (PDF). bwsc.dole.gov.ph. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  31. ^ . ro7.dole.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 5 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  32. ^ Cruz, Cynthia. (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2015.
  33. ^ cpunet.plesk.freepgs.com . Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  34. ^ "Department of Social Welfare and Development | Organizational Structure". dswd.gov.ph. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  35. ^ . dswd.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  36. ^ . iacat.gov.ph. Archived from the original on 13 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  37. ^ . aijc.com.ph. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  38. ^ "By the Sweat & Toil of Children Volume V: Efforts to Eliminate Child Labor".
  39. ^ . visayanforum.org. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  40. ^ "Projects". International Labour Organization: Protecting Jobs, Protecting People.
  41. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 July 2015.
  42. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2015.
  43. ^ . Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.
  44. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 3 July 2015.

child, labor, philippines, this, article, factual, accuracy, compromised, date, information, please, help, update, this, article, reflect, recent, events, newly, available, information, 2020, employment, children, hazardous, occupations, below, fifteen, withou. This article s factual accuracy may be compromised due to out of date information Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information May 2020 Child labor in the Philippines is the employment of children in hazardous occupations below the age of fifteen 15 or without the proper conditions and requirements below the age of fifteen 15 where children are compelled to work on a regular basis to earn a living for themselves and their families and as a result are disadvantaged educationally and socially So to make it short it is called child labor when it is forced 1 2 In 2012 the National Statistics Office NSO has said there are currently around 5 5 million child laborers aged 5 17 in the country around 2 1 million of whom are exposed to environments that are considered hazardous 3 needs update The International Labour Organization estimates that 55 3 of these children undertake hazardous work in an agricultural setting 4 needs update Contents 1 Definitions 1 1 Hazardous work 1 2 Permissible work 2 Current status 3 Philippine legislation on child labor 3 1 Historical evolution of child labor laws in the Philippines 3 2 Child labor laws in the Philippines 3 3 Laws and regulations related to child labor 4 Causes and effects 4 1 Causes 4 1 1 Poverty 4 1 2 Educational status 4 2 Effects 4 2 1 Educational 4 2 2 Health and abuse 5 Government organizations 5 1 Primary agency 5 1 1 Department of Labor and Employment 5 1 1 1 Philippine Program Against Child Labor 5 1 1 2 Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program 5 1 1 3 Child Labor Free Barangays 5 1 1 3 1 List of Barangays 5 1 1 4 HELP ME Convergence Program Against Child Labor 5 1 1 5 Project Angel Tree 5 1 1 6 Philippine National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children 5 2 Secondary agencies 5 2 1 Department of Social Welfare and Development 5 2 2 Council for the Welfare of Children 6 Non government organizations 6 1 Kamalayan Development Foundation 6 2 Visayan Forum Foundation Inc 7 International partnerships 7 1 International Labour Organization 7 1 1 International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour 7 2 ChildFund Philippines 7 3 World Vision Development Foundation Inc 7 3 1 ABK3 LEAP 8 See also 9 ReferencesDefinitions editRepublic Act No 7610 known as the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination Act gives the followings definitions pertinent to understanding the Child Labor situation in the Philippines Children refers to 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 condition Section 3 1 Child labor refers to the illegal employment of children below the age of fifteen 15 where they are not directly under the sole responsibility of their parents or legal guardian or the latter employs other workers apart from their children who are not members of their families or their work endangers their life safety health and morals or impairs their normal development including schooling This also extends to the situation of children below the age of eighteen 18 who are employed in hazardous occupations Section 12 1 The joint project of the Philippine National Statistics Office and International Labour Organization made distinctions on the kinds of work that children subjected to 4 Hazardous work edit Chemical work involves exposure to Dust e g silica dust standing dust Liquid e g oil gasoline mercury Mist fumes or vapors e g paint insecticides or pesticide spraying Gas e g oxygen ammonia etc Physical work involves exposure to Noise Temperature or humidity Pressure Inadequate illumination or lighting Slip trip or fall hazards Insufficient exit for prompt escape Congested lay out Radiation ultraviolet or microwave etc Biological work involves exposure to Viral Bacterial Fungal Parasitic e g drinking water affected with amoeba etc Permissible work edit Children are allowed to undertake work under certain conditions 5 A child below 15 years old can be permitted to work if he she is under supervision by family senior parents provided that the child works directly under the sole responsibility of his her parents or legal guardian and where only members of his her family are employed The child s employment does not endangers his her life safety health and morals or impairs his her normal development The parent or legal guardian shall provide the said child with the prescribed primary and or secondary education The employer first secures a work permit for the child from the Department of Labor and Employment DOLE Children aged 15 to below 18 years of age are permitted to work in any economic activity not considered child labor but not more than eight 8 hours a day and in no case beyond forty 40 hours a week They shall not be allowed to work between 10 00 P M and 6 00 A M of the following day and employer should provide the child with access to at least elementary and secondary education 5 Current status editIn its report Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor in 2013 the U S Department of Labor estimated the percentage of working children aged 5 to 14 to be around 11 which corresponds to about 2 180 million children 65 of these children were found in the agricultural sector 5 in the industrial sector and 29 engaged in domestic service 6 The 2014 List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor reported 13 goods produced exclusively by child labor in the Philippines These included 8 agricultural goods namely sugarcane bananas coconuts corn hogs rice rubber and tobacco Gold mining pornography and pyrotechnics complete the list Philippine legislation on child labor editHistorical evolution of child labor laws in the Philippines edit The concern for the welfare of Children being employed to work started in the Philippines as early as 1923 7 The American colonial government of that time enacted the very first set of rules and regulations in the country regarding Child labor through Act No 3071 also known as An Act to Regulate the Employment of Women and Children in Shops Factories Industrial Agricultural and Mercantile Establishments and Other Place of Labor in the Philippine Islands to Provide Penalties for Violations Hereof and for Other Purposes 8 The enforcement of this law was eventually overseen by the Woman and Child Labor Section of the Inspection Division of the then Bureau of Labor in 1925 When the Philippines declared independence from American rule in 1946 all existing laws enacted under the former regime were replaced by Republic Acts Act No 3071 was renamed R A 695 thereafter and the implementation was entrusted to the Women and Minors Division of the former Bureau of Labor Standards in 1957 7 In 1932 the Philippines enacted into law to codify its penal laws they came to be known as the Revised Penal Code RPC 9 The RPC contains several provisions barring certain types of child work such as Exploitation of Child Labor Article 273 which prohibits an employer from retaining a child worker in service against his or her will under the pretext of reimbursing a debt incurred by the child s ascendants The PRC also includes a clause regarding the Exploitation of Minors Article 278 This provision prohibits the employment of a minor less than sixteen 16 years of age in what the code describes as dangerous exhibits Other provisions of the RPC relating to slavery prostitution corruption illegal detention and kidnapping of minors are all applicable to child workers The RPC remains in effect to this day in the Philippines 7 Two years after Philippine independence from American control the Republic became a member state of the International Labour Organization on 15 June 1948 10 Since then the Philippines have ratified a number of international conventions adopted by ILO relating to child labor The country first ratified in 1953 ILO Convention No 90 which prohibits the employment of children in industry during night time and in 1960 11 the government ratified ILO Convention No 59 which fixes the minimum age of employment for industry at 15 years 12 The convention however allows younger workers to be employed in undertakings which only members of the employer s family are employed but only if the work in question is not a danger to the life health or morals of the children employed ILO Convention No 77 which requires the medical examination and subsequent re examination of children as a prerequisite for their employment 13 was also put into effect in 1960 The ILO Convention No 138 or the Minimum Age Convention of 1973 14 was not ratified in the Philippines until 1998 15 During the Martial Law a handful of Presidential Decrees P D s were enforced concerning child labor laws in the Philippines One of which is P D no 148 which amended R A 679 the Woman and Child Labor Law The new decree simplified the complex provisions of R A 679 regarding confusing age limits imposed by this law under different types of undertakings allowing any person between 14 and 18 years of age may be employed in any non hazardous undertaking 16 It is important to note that P D no 148 was in direct disagreement with ILO Convention No 59 The new law didn t last that long since only a year after P D no 148 was amended by the passage of P D no 442 otherwise known as the Labor Code The new law raised the minimum age of employment from 14 to 15 years old and has maintained the previous minimum age for hazardous undertakings at 18 years old The Labor Code failed however to include the terms and conditions of employment of children previously provided by R A 679 as amended by P D no 148 creating a huge gap in the new law This was eventually addressed through P D 603 or the Child and Youth Welfare Code a codification of different provisions for the well being of all children 7 Child labor laws in the Philippines edit After the fall of the Marcos regime in 1986 increasing demands for reforms in government policies legislation and programs affecting children made the government respond by ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child CRC on 26 July 1990 The CRC entered into force as an international agreement on 2 September 1990 The convention directs the ratifying countries to recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child s education or to be harmful to the child s health or physical mental spiritual moral or social development 17 To comply with the mandate of the CRC the government enacted R A 7610 An Act Providing for Stronger Deterrence and Special Protection of Children Against Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination Providing Penalties for its Violation and for Other Purposes on 17 June 1992 7 Initially the act was lauded for its innovation in promoting child welfare especially those found in extremely difficult situations However the act was also severely criticized because of how its provisions severely changed existing policies regarding Child labor laws Article VIII Section 12 of R A 7610 legalized the employment of all children below 15 years of age but only if the employer is able to secure a working permit from the Department of Labor and Employment DOLE 7 Public opinion and international organizations like the ILO and the UNICEF along with the local Department of Justice pushed to amend R A 7610 Article VII Section 12 as it was in flagrant violation of ILO convention no 59 A new law called R A 7658 or An Act Prohibiting the Employment of Children below 15 Years of Age in Public and Private Undertakings was passed in October 1993 for this purpose 7 R A 7658 allows only two exceptions to the prohibition on employment below the minimum age first for the concerned child to work directly under the sole responsibility of the child s parents or legal guardian and where only members of the employer s family are employed and second where a child s employment in public entertainment or information through cinema theater radio or television is essential Additionally the new law requires the employers to first secure for the child a work permit from the DOLE before the child can begin to work 18 In 2003 the Philippines passed a new law known as R A 9231 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination Act 19 This law specifically limits the employment of children below 15 years old with the same exceptions as R A 7658 with additional provisions regarding restrictions on the number of hours children are allowed to work provisions on expanding working children s access to education social medical and legal assistance Laws and regulations related to child labor edit Standard Yes No Age Related LegislationMinimum age of work Yes 15 Labor Code an act instituting policies for the protection and welfare of domestic workersMinimum age for hazardous work Yes 18 Labor CodeList of hazardous occupations prohibited for children Yes Republic Act No 679 as further amended by Presidential Decree No 148 Woman and Child Labor Law Department Order 4Prohibition of forced labor Yes Expanded Anti Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 Republic Act No 10364Prohibition of child trafficking Yes Act providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and affording stronger protection for the working child Republic Act No 9231 Expanded Anti Trafficking in PersonsAct of 2012 Special Protection of Children Against Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination ActProhibition of commercial sexual exploitation of children Yes Act providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and affording stronger protection for the working child Special Protection of Children Against Abuse Exploitationand Discrimination Act Anti Child Pornography Act of 2009 Republic Act No 9775 Cybercrime Prevention ActProhibition of using children in illicit activities Yes Act providing for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor and affording stronger protection for the working child Republic Act No 9231 Special Protection of Children AgainstAbuse Exploitation and Discrimination Act ComprehensiveDangerous Drugs ActMinimum age for compulsory military recruitment Yes 18 Memorandum Circular No 13 on Selective Enlistment Reenlistment of the Department of National Defense and theArmed Forces of the Philippines Special Protection of ChildrenAgainst Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination ActMinimum age for voluntary military service Combat YesNon combat Yes 18 17 Memorandum Circular No 13 on Selective Enlistment Reenlistment of the Department of National Defense and theArmed Forces of the Philippines 2003 Declaration on Ratifyingthe Optional ProtocolCompulsory education age Yes 18 Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013Free public education Yes Philippine ConstitutionDespite government efforts on amendments and ratification of laws and policies regarding child labor the present policies and legislation responsible for the protection and rights of child workers in the Philippines still remain scattered among the different laws of the country 20 Causes and effects editThere are different reasons to why children are pushed to work below the legal age of 18 Listed below are some of the main problems Causes edit Poverty edit According to a survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority or the NSCB in 2009 and released in 2011 26 5 of the Filipino population is considered poor This amounts to 23 1 million Filipinos who live below the poverty threshold The poverty threshold refers to the minimum income a family or individual must earn in order to be considered not poor An individual is considered poor if he or she is below the annual per capita poverty threshold of P16 871 Recent research cites that poverty incidence among Filipino families have been increasing Poverty incidence percentage declined from 21 in 2006 to 20 5 in 2009 and to 19 7 in 2012 however due to growing population the number of families rose from 3 8 million to 4 03 million and to 4 2 million respectively Furthermore a family of five would need an average of P7 890 to cover basic food and non food needs 21 The widespread poverty and unemployment rates in the country means that poor or low income households are vulnerable to income and employment shocks Lacking in physical assets that may be sold or offered as collateral in order to reduce or prevent interruptions to their income streams poor households may resort to sending their younger members to work as a risk reducing strategy Especially during economic downturns when adult unemployment is rising and incomes are falling child work provides a way for augmenting household incomes It is thus reasonable to expect that the incidence of child labor will be higher among poor households than non poor households and that such incidence should rise especially during periods of economic slowdown or decline 22 Educational status edit In a study done by Anna Leah Colina for Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research EILER The study which involved 3 859 households found that children from poor families are being forced by necessity to augment the family s coffers by working Leaving school and working is a decision forced upon children by the reality they face each day the study added It further revealed that 96 percent of the households surveyed are living below the poverty threshold of their regions At least 78 percent of respondents said they do not own or have access to land Instead most rely on other means to earn a living such as working in mines and plantations Colina said a lack of access to education is also a one push factor to child labor She said 60 percent of child laborers did not reach the sixth grade while 44 percent reached Grade 6 before they left school to work 23 dd This study has shown that most children are either forced to work at an early age or just work to have a steady income to help their families in their financial situations Effects edit Educational edit Based on the result of the 2013 Functional Literacy Education and Mass media survey facilitated by the National Statistic Office 10 6 of ages 6 24 of the country s population is out of school One of the top reasons is poverty Insufficient income to sustain schooling constitutes 19 2 of the out of school youth Another alarming sign is that lack of interest which constitutes to 19 1 Lastly 5 5 of both male and female youths are out of school because they are either employed or looking for work These factors affect the kids as they try to help their families earn more that resulted to the negligence of their education 24 A study indicated that school attendance among child workers tends to be sacrificed Although schooling can be combined with work in many instances various factors like poverty and the conditions of work may prevent working children from either attending school or benefiting to any significant degree from doing so Children laboring under hazardous conditions are also at great risk of getting injured or contracting various diseases Psychological and emotional problems have also been noted among children working under extreme conditions These effects have implications on the future productive capacity and earning potential of working children The failure to invest in human capital now means that the working children of today will be the impoverished parents of tomorrow bearing children who like them will also be pushed prematurely into the labor market to make ends meet Child labor especially the worst forms tends to reproduce the very same conditions that brought it about 22 The relationship between child work bad performance at school and eventual non attendance can take various routes as illustrated in many documented cases In general time divided between work and studying does not permit a child to focus on the latter causing him to fall behind with his lessons and to get low grades Conditions of work are therefore critical as they can affect a child s readiness to tackle schoolwork 22 Health and abuse edit Continuous exposure to various hazards in their work environments especially chemical and biological ones that are invisible places children s health and lives at great risk While adults working under the same conditions face similar risks an argument for minimum health and safety regulations would pose that children are especially vulnerable to work related illnesses Their yet undeveloped biological processes make their bodies less resistant to the chemicals and other toxic substances they are regularly exposed to The lack of proper nutrition so characteristic among the poor moreover increases the vulnerability of working children to both the short and long term debilitating effects of work which can cut short economically productive life 22 Government organizations editIn order to progressively eliminate the proliferation of child labor cases in the Philippines the following agencies DOLE DSWD and CWC jointly collaborate on the programs and actions that assure the prevention of more child labor cases and the protection of the children in the society Primary agency edit Department of Labor and Employment edit The Department of Labor and Employment DOLE is the national government agency responsible for formulating policies the implementation of programs and they serve as the policy coordinating program arm of the Executive Branch in the labor and employment field 25 They are leading the networks in the progressive eradication of child labor through protecting preventing and removing the children out of the hazardous and exploitative works which also includes curing and redeeming them back into society 26 Their projects programs and activities are as follows Philippine Program Against Child Labor PPACL Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program H E L P M E or the Health Education and training Livelihood Protection and prevention and Monitoring and Evaluation Program Project Angel Tree KaSaMa Program Special Program for the Employment of Students SPES Child Labor Free BarangaysDOLE also enforced national laws such as The Anti Trafficking in Persons Act R A 9208 and Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse Exploitation and Discrimination Act R A 9231 Philippine Program Against Child Labor edit The Philippine Program Against Child Labor PPACL is the founded from the National Program Against Child Labor NPACL framework Led by the Department of Labor and Employment the latter framework was established for the period 2001 2004 to combat child labor The program partners used it as a way to unify the goals missions visions and other points needed of the programs to be established When the period ended the National Child Labor Committee added breadth to the framework by identifying new objectives that would help sustain the environment NPACL fostered and continue preventing the progressing situation of child labor in the Philippines In order to protect children and their rights they proposed seven objectives to influence action Create a database system that upholds relevant information on the current events and news on child labor This database system should be remained updated inviting stakeholders and program partners to continually add significant studies and other resources Ensure the role of the PPACL in all of the different partnerships and organizations geared to fight against child labor This will help create a more responsive National Child Labor Committee Engage the committee by creating awareness of the prevalent child labor issue through encouraging them to participate in the advocacies and other programs established for them Encourage social workers and other entitled workers to participate in the programs to add more quality and authenticity Provide opportunities for children in order to avoid the continuance of child labor while protecting their rights as children Conventionalize the initiatives against child labor to ensure success and better implementation of laws and policies Establish programs within laws and policies attributed and associated to child labor in order to proceed to a more national level wherein all cities and provinces will be able to access the programs and initiatives 27 Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program edit For further progression in child labor elimination DOLE established a program called Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program To be consistent with the PPACL framework the objectives of the programs was founded on the framework to promote consistency and efficiency in combating child labor Its five initiatives are as follows The Child Labor Knowledge Sharing System was created with updated information and resources contributed by 300 and counting users The partnerships were strengthened through restructuring the National Child Labor Committee and its sub committees and creating the Sagip Batang Manggagawa Quick Action Team and other initiatives to focus on strengthening the regional committees They provided authentic and effective service through projects such as Kabuhayan para sa Magulang ng Batang Manggagawa KASAMA Project Project Angel Tree Eliminating Child Labor in the Tobacco Industry ECLTI Project and Integrated Services for Migratory Sugar Workers I SERVE SACADAS Project They strengthened campaigns and intensified implemented projects to promote the normalization of a child labor free environment Guided by the laws and policies enforced the programs aided in working through the cases and provided legal actions such as creating the Working Child s Permit and closing establishments that promote child labor 28 Child Labor Free Barangays edit Consistent with the PPACL framework the project Child Labor Free Barangay aims what the name insinuates eliminate child labor in every barangay in every country Each labor free barangay will be given a three year certification and endorsement to DOLE programs once the barangay has completed the criteria and other requirements and submitted the proper documents in being enlisted as child labor free They should also have at least four agencies working within their area in order to promote child protection 29 List of Barangays edit As of 2014 the Child Labor Free Barangay has already saved 53 barangays in 10 regions 30 Regions BarangaysNational Capital Region Pasong Putik Quezon City Bagong Barrio Caloocan City Brgy 176 Bagong Silang Caloocan City Pinagbuhatan Pasig Sampaloc Manila Sitio Damayan Manila Brgy 91 Manila Brgy 109 Manila Almanza Uno las Pinas Brgy 14 San Jose Pasay Brgy 201 Kalayaan PasayCordillera Administrative Region Pide Sagada Tanulong Sagada Fidelisan Sagada Banga an Sagada Aguid Sagada Madongo SagadaRegion 1 Valbuena Pinili Macayo AlcalaRegion 3 Pulong Buhangin Sta Maria Bulacan Pandacaqui Mexico PampangaRegion 4 A Sta Maria Calauag Batangas Madulao Catanauan Batangas Sta Ana Taytay Rizal San Juan Taytay Rizal Mahabang Parang Angono Rizal Kalayaan Angono RizalNegros Island Region NIR Brgy Canggohob Mabinay Negros Oriental Brgy Manlingay Mabinay Negros OrientalRegion 10 San Jose Quezon Bukidnon Poblacion Quezon Bukidnon Salawagan Quezon Bukidnon Merangeran Quezon Bukidnon Butong Quezon BukidnonRegion 11 Kiblawan Pasig Davao del Sur Kibuaya Hagonoy Davao del Sur Matina Pangi Davao City Davao del Sur New Barili Maco Compostela Valley New Leyte Maco Compostela ValleyRegion 12 Kematu T boli South Cotabato Poblacion Malungon Saranggani Libi Malapatan Saranggani Colon Maasim Saranggani Bula Gen Santos City City Heights Gen Santos City Poblacion Tacurong Sultan Kudarat EJC Montilla Tacurong Sultan Kudarat Saguing Makilala North Cotabato Presbitero Pigcawayan North Cotabato Poblacion Mother Cotabato City Rosary Heights 2 Cotabato CityCaraga Doongan Butuan City Agusan Del Norte Las Navas Prosperidad Agusan Del SurHELP ME Convergence Program Against Child Labor edit HELP ME Convergence Program Against Child Labor mainly aims to provide converged strategies to address issues concerning child labor HELP ME stands for H for Health services E for Education and training L for Livelihood opportunities for people involved P for Prevention protection and prosecution M for Monitoring and lastly E for Evaluation It is founded by Cabinet s Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster HDPRC together with President Benigno S Aquino III Department of Labor and Employment and Department of Social Welfare and Development The whole program will keep in line through the following objectives keeping a monitoring system for the child laborers and the services provided to them delivering services fitting to the situations of the child laborers and finally collaborating with different departments and program partners such as DOLE DSWD DepEd DOH DILG DA DOJ TESDA NEDA CWC PIA and NCIP This convergence program was implemented in the period of 2013 to 2016 with the proposed budget of 9 billion hoping that by the end of the project child labor will be eliminated by 75 or more specifically to move out at least 893 000 children from the worst forms of child labor 31 Project Angel Tree edit Introduced by the Bureau of Women and Young Workers the Project Angel Tree works as a connection for child laborers and those stakeholders who wish to collaboratively partake in protecting their rights This project also contributes to the program Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program The primary objective of the project is to create an Angel Tree Community wherein Angels which are the donors and contributors grant the wishes of the child laborers The Angel Tree itself is an image for the cause wherein it is targeted that through this project the Angels will continue to bear fruit for the children who need them They call this system value networks where through them positive social interaction would be formed and child laborers would be granted access to resources In 2010 Project Angel Tree has already helped 15 902 victims of child labor in the country 32 Philippine National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children edit Philippine National Strategic Framework for Plan Development for Children otherwise known as Child 21 serves as a guide for initiatives and programs established to promote and protect the rights of the children The framework includes different activities and strategies in order to provide child friendly environments education protection from threats including sexual exploitation child labor and child trafficking and other modes of development for the children 33 Secondary agencies edit Department of Social Welfare and Development edit The Department of Social Welfare and Development DSWD is the government agency who provides direction to the intermediaries and implementers concerned with the delivery and development of social welfare and development services They also develop and enrich existing programs and services for specific groups which includes the children and youth 34 They hold Child Protection Services in which they reach out on the children for them to recover from the experience of labor and be reintegrated back to their families They also have Therapeutic Services for the Abused Children for the children to overcome the negative effects of abuse and for them to be able to live a normal and productive life by maximizing every potential a child has 35 Aside from their services they are working together with DOLE in H E L P M E Council for the Welfare of Children edit The Council for the Welfare of Children CWC actively advocates against trafficking of children They incorporate issues and concerns affecting trafficking in children in its development and strategic frameworks and ensures the adoption of such by the LGUs and other stakeholders 36 They do not directly implement programs for the children they facilitate or support other agencies and service providers through activities that are in line with their functions 37 Non government organizations editKamalayan Development Foundation edit In 1995 1997 with the help of International Labour Organization ILO and United Nations Children s Fund UNICEF Kamalayan Development Foundation progressed from Kamalayan Development Center through establishing anti child recruitment agencies in Davao City Cebu City and Ormoc City This started numerous initiatives which granted children freedom from work enslavement The organization founded rescue operations participated in governmental and international campaigns and advocacy activities imprisoned child labors and finally identified and rescued child laborers in plantations factories prostitution facilities and other exploitative locations The Kamalayan Development Foundation seeks to expand nationwide through the continuous support of ILO 38 Visayan Forum Foundation Inc edit As a child laborer herself Ma Cecilia Flores Oebanda spearheaded the Visayan Forum Foundation Inc VFI in order to eradicate slavery and human trafficking Its actions revolve around providing residential care to victims mainly women and children of difficult circumstances such as exploitation and child labor The organization has established programs such as Centers of Hope These are safe houses that aim to provide protection and shelter to girl children and women victims iFight Movement This movement seeks to train equip and empower the youth with a better mentality for change and information on fighting against human trafficking Policy and Advocacy Resource Center This provides volunteers and partners a space to share information in order to develop the current campaigns and update information on the current environment on human trafficking and domestic work Ventures for Freedom This educates and provides communities innovative strategies in order to stray away from the possibility of human trafficking and domestic work tackling the cause to prevent the problem from progressing 39 International partnerships editInternational Labour Organization edit In 1948 the Philippines joined the International Labour Organization ILO and has remained one of the active participants in its advocacy As the country face problems on employment more specifically child labor the partnership paved way to projects that will help in the elimination of child labor The organization supports the country through promoting growth and developing their skills through quality education especially for the children who remain victims to employment Its social partners include the DOLE employers Confederation of the Philippines ECOP Alliance of Progressive Labor APL Associated Labor Unions TUCP ALU TUCP Federation of Free Workers FFW Kilusang Mayo Uno KMU Public Services Labor Independent Confederation PSLINK and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines TUCP 40 International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour edit International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour IPEC varies from one country after another dependent on the current situations of child labor persisting in the country specified It aims to eliminate child labor in its different sectors such as direct action advocacy and awareness institutional development social services and poverty alleviation and legislation and policy development 41 ChildFund Philippines edit In 1971 ChildFund began by partnering with religious organizations and eventually the communities in the Philippines The organization helps secure the future of children vulnerable to exploitation child labour and other causes and builds a community that would ensure their safety and protection Each year they contribute 8 million to their partnerships worldwide including the Philippines directly helping 250 000 children and counting ChildFund is notable for two projects Child Protection Committees CPCs wherein they protect children from dangerous and harmful acts such as bullying child abuse exploitation and other measures in schools Another would be the Conditional Socialized Education Assistance Provide educational assistance to children who face inabilities to meet their educational needs Currently their target provinces are Ifugao Benguet Baguio City Mountain Province Quezon Batangas Laguna National Capital Region Metro Manila Sorsogon Camarines Sur Capiz Iloilo Negros Occidental Cebu Ormoc Misamis Oriental North Cotobato South Cotobato Cotobato Maguindanao Sulu Zamboanga del Norte 42 World Vision Development Foundation Inc edit World Vision Development Foundation Inc performs through partnering with Christians all over the world to seek justice and promote human welfare through various activities and programs such as spreading awareness changing unjust structures and transforming the youth by encouraging involvement and protecting their rights The partnership with organization started when its founder Robert Willard Pierce initiated the China Challenge which led to sponsoring and caring for the poor and needy It first helped an orphanage called The Good Shepherd s Fold in 1957 and since then it has continued to move to foster a healthy environment for the children and their families 43 ABK3 LEAP edit Pag Aaral ng Bata para sa Kinabukasan ABK LEAP Livelihoods Education Advocacy and Protection to Reduce Child Labor in Sugarcane Areas is the third phase of the ABK Initiative that aims to withdraw children from exploitative labor In four years 2011 2015 ABK3 LEAP intends to provide education raise awareness support research contribute to the continuous development and support data collection on child labor The project mainly focuses on 11 provinces namely Batangas Bukidnon Camarines Sur Capiz Cebu Davao del Sur Iloilo Leyte Negros Occidental Negros Oriental and North Cotabato It targets to provide for 52 000 children at ages 5 17 years old and 25 000 households The project is implemented by the following organizations World Vision Development Foundation Inc ChiWorld Vision Development Foundation Inc ChildFund Philippines Educational Research and Development Assistance Foundation Inc ERDA Sugar Industry Foundation Inc SIFI Community Economic Ventures Inc CEVI and University of the Philippines Social Action and Research for Development Foundation UPSARDF 44 See also editChildren in jail in PhilippinesGeneral Human rights in the PhilippinesReferences edit a b c Republic Act No 7610 Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines Archived from the original on 16 August 2017 Retrieved 3 July 2015 What is child labour IPEC ilo org Retrieved 3 July 2015 The number of working children 5 to 17 years old is estimated at 5 5 million Preliminary Results of the 2011 Survey on Children National Statistics Office Philippine Statistics Authority 18 July 2012 Archived from the original on 23 October 2017 Retrieved 3 July 2015 a b 2011 Survey on Children A Joint Project of the Philippine National Statistics Office and International Labour Organization PDF International Labour Organization 2011 Retrieved 3 July 2015 a b Department of Labor and Employment dole gov ph Archived from the original on 4 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Philippines 2013 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor Archived from the original on 8 April 2016 Retrieved 14 April 2015 a b c d e f g International Labour Organization International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour ILO IPEC International Labour Organization International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour ILO IPEC 1998 Retrieved 1 July 2015 http ipecphils tripod com phillaws p2 1 htm top Act No 3071 An Act to Regulate the Employment of Women and Children in Shops Factories Industrial Agricultural and Mercantile Establishments and Other Place of Labour in the Philippine Islands to Provide Penalties for Violations Hereof and for Other Purposes PhilippineLaw info Archived from the original on 2 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines PDF United Nations Retrieved 3 July 2015 The ILO in the Philippines Asia Pacific Decent Work Decade 2006 2015 2015 3 Retrieved 1 July 2015 http www ilo org manila publications WCMS 371657 lang en index htm Convention C090 Night Work of Young Persons Industry Convention Revised 1948 No 90 ilo org Retrieved 3 July 2015 Convention C059 Minimum Age Industry Convention Revised 1937 No 59 ilo org Retrieved 3 July 2015 Convention C077 Medical Examination of Young Persons Industry Convention 1946 No 77 ilo org Retrieved 3 July 2015 Convention C138 Minimum Age Convention 1973 No 138 ilo org Retrieved 3 July 2015 Ratifications of ILO conventions Ratifications by Convention ilo org Retrieved 3 July 2015 R A 679 lawphil net Retrieved 3 July 2015 UN General Assembly Convention on the Rights of the Child 20 November 1989 United Nations Treaty Series vol 1577 p 3 available at http www refworld org docid 3ae6b38f0 html accessed 1 July 2015 Rules and Regulations Implementing Republic Act No 9231 Amending R A 7610 as amended PDF dole gov ph Archived from the original PDF on 23 September 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 R A 9231 lawphil net Retrieved 3 July 2015 Philippines SIGNIFICANT ADVANCEMENT PDF dol gov Archived from the original PDF on 4 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on 15 November 2014 Retrieved 3 July 2015 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link a b c d Emmanuel F Esguerra An Analysis of the Causes and Consequences of Child Labor in the Philippines Torres Joe 29 January 2015 Chronic poverty is fueling child labor in the Philippines ucanews com Archived from the original on 14 January 2019 Retrieved 14 January 2019 Out of School Children and Youth in the Philippines Results from the 2013 Functional Literacy Education and Mass Media Survey Philippine Statistics Authority Archived from the original on 1 December 2017 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Department of Labor and Employment Pages dole gov ph Archived from the original on 2 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 ENHANCING THE USE OF THE CBMS STUDY RESULTS THRU DOLE PROGRAMS PDF pep net org Retrieved 3 July 2015 Amat Zoren ILS Discussion Paper Series 10 2010 Not Letting a Single Domino Fall Towards a Child Labor Free Philippines PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 July 2015 DOLE Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program 2011 Accomplishment Report PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Child Labor Free Barangays GOVPH Archived from the original on 25 July 2018 Retrieved 3 July 2015 CERTIFIED CHILD LABOR FREE BARANGAYS IN 2014 PDF bwsc dole gov ph Archived from the original PDF on 23 September 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND EMPLOYMENT ro7 dole gov ph Archived from the original on 5 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Cruz Cynthia Project Angel Tree Value Networks as a Strategy Toward Improving Outcomes for Child Laborers and their Families PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 July 2015 cpunet plesk freepgs com https web archive org web 20150704120616 http cpunet plesk freepgs com index2 php option com docman amp task doc view amp gid 9 amp Itemid 30 Archived from the original on 4 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Missing or empty title help Department of Social Welfare and Development Organizational Structure dswd gov ph Retrieved 3 July 2015 Department of Social Welfare and Development For Children and Youth dswd gov ph Archived from the original on 3 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Council for the Welfare of Children CWC iacat gov ph Archived from the original on 13 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 CRC Directory Council for the Welfare of Children CWC aijc com ph Archived from the original on 4 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 By the Sweat amp Toil of Children Volume V Efforts to Eliminate Child Labor About Us Visayan Forum visayanforum org Archived from the original on 4 March 2016 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Projects International Labour Organization Protecting Jobs Protecting People The Philippines at a Glance PDF Archived from the original PDF on 3 July 2015 Overview of Philippines PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 July 2015 Our History Archived from the original on 4 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Occupational Safety and Health OSH Analysis on Hazardous Work of Child Workers in Sugarcane Farms PDF Archived from the original PDF on 4 July 2015 Retrieved 3 July 2015 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Child labor in the Philippines amp oldid 1187957351, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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