child labor in philippines
Millions of children in the Philippines are forced to work at young ages. Child labor is one of the Philippines' most urgent problems and stems from a range of social factors. Unless something is done, the issue of child labor will continue to affect the lives of many families across the country.
Dangerous Work
Conditions that child laborers are forced to endure vary widely, but according to a 2011 report by the International Labor Organization, as many as 3 million children work in environments that are considered hazardous, and an additional 2.5 million children are forced to work in slightly better but still substandard conditions.
Some children have jobs that place them in immediate physical danger. These risks include exposure to potentially harmful chemicals or sharp tools, and other dangers that may be less obvious but no less risky. Children are often forced to work long hours with few breaks, which takes a toll on their physical development. Others are abused by their employers, both physically and psychologically. Although some companies make use of both boys and girls in their operations, boys remain at higher risk of becoming child laborers; almost 67 percent of child workers in the Philippines are boys. Hazardous work involving children is most prevalent in the Central Luzon, Bicol, Northern Mindanao and Western Visayan Island regions.
Children as young as 6 have been working in sugarcane fields in the Philippines, and gold mines also employ children.
Root Causes
As with many threats to children's development and well-being, poverty is a root cause of child labor. Families struggle to make ends meet and face hard decisions when it comes to sending their children to work. Without immediate action, the problem will continue to grow.
"We have to get to the root of child labor which is linked with poverty and lack of decent and productive work," said Lawrence Jeff Johnson, director of the International Labour Organization's country office
Dangerous Work
Conditions that child laborers are forced to endure vary widely, but according to a 2011 report by the International Labor Organization, as many as 3 million children work in environments that are considered hazardous, and an additional 2.5 million children are forced to work in slightly better but still substandard conditions.
Some children have jobs that place them in immediate physical danger. These risks include exposure to potentially harmful chemicals or sharp tools, and other dangers that may be less obvious but no less risky. Children are often forced to work long hours with few breaks, which takes a toll on their physical development. Others are abused by their employers, both physically and psychologically. Although some companies make use of both boys and girls in their operations, boys remain at higher risk of becoming child laborers; almost 67 percent of child workers in the Philippines are boys. Hazardous work involving children is most prevalent in the Central Luzon, Bicol, Northern Mindanao and Western Visayan Island regions.
Children as young as 6 have been working in sugarcane fields in the Philippines, and gold mines also employ children.
Root Causes
As with many threats to children's development and well-being, poverty is a root cause of child labor. Families struggle to make ends meet and face hard decisions when it comes to sending their children to work. Without immediate action, the problem will continue to grow.
"We have to get to the root of child labor which is linked with poverty and lack of decent and productive work," said Lawrence Jeff Johnson, director of the International Labour Organization's country office