Child labor in the Philippines has been a problem since the early twentieth century. However in 1946 the Philippines claimed its independence from American Rule and became a Republic (The Philippine Campaign). This allowed the Philippines to make their own child labor laws. One significant law was the power of the Secretary of Labour to grant a special work permit for the employment of a child whose employment is otherwise prohibited (The Philippine Campaign). This allowed any child to work. In the years 1953 and 1960, the Philippines ratified three international conventions adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO), relating to child labour (The Philippine Campaign). These conventions made laws that prohibits the employment of children in industry during night time, fixes the minimum age of employment for industry at 15 years but allowed younger children to be employed in undertakings in which only members of the employer's family are employed, provided that such work are not dangerous to the life, health or morals of the children employed, and requireed the medical examination of children as a pre-requisite to employment and their subsequent re-examinations (The Philippine Campaign).
Even with these laws in affect child labor continues to be a problem in the Philippines. Poverty is the main reason due to which children under the age of 18 years are compelled to work in dangerous and life threatening conditions (Child Labor in Philippines). The work that the children have to do range from agricultural, to production, to service trades. These dangerous conditions consist of environmental, chemical, ad physical hazards (Aldaba, Lanzona, and Tamangan). Children in agriculture are exposed to heavy loads, chemicals used for fertilizers and pesticides. (The Philippine Campaign). Factory child workers risk other injuries and death from accidents caused by modern machineries and from the lack of protective mechanisms (The Philippine Campaign). These all seriously affect the lives of these children.
While many people believe the issues of child labor in the Philippines are due to political or economical issues, they are actually do to social issues. There are long standing work and ethical traditions that are followed within Filipino communities. One centuries old tradition is that children are impelled to work from an early age because they must work to compensate as much as possible for the economic burden that they put on the family (The Philippine Campaign). This shows that despite laws preventing child labor, Filipino communities feel that it is ethically important to have children work. Another reason why children work is the failures in the education system(The Philippine Campaign). Instead on mandating that all children must go to school, the Filipino government allows the families to decide. Most families would rather have their children working and bringing in an income, than going to school.
These sorts of social factors can be seen throughout the rest of the world. In many countries (Costa Rica, Thailand, Sri Lanka), the minimum working age is lower than the required age of compulsory education (Child Labor). So like in the Philippines, these children are encouraged to work rather than pursue an education. When impoverished children are allowed to work legally, they will often abandon school to better their family's condition (Child Labor). This also correlates to the long standing Filipino tradition of children having to work to lessen the burden they put on their families. Just like in the Philippines, social issues of child labor are prevalent throughout the world.
works cited:
Aldaba, Fernando T., Leonardo Lanzona, and Ronald Tamangan. "A National Policy Study on Child Labour and Development in the Philippines." Philippine Institute for Development Studies (2004). Print.
The Philippine Campaign. "International Labour Organization-International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC)." ILO. 1998. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://ipecphils.tripod.com/phillaws/index.htm>.
Siddiqi, Faraaz, and Harry Anthony Patrinos. "Child Labor: Issues, Causes, and Interventions." Print.
"Child Labor in Philippines." Rachana Deshpande Article Author. Web. 04 May 2012. <http://rachanadeshpande2.articlealley.com/child-labor-in-philippines-666377.html>.
Although Monique makes excellent points about the social issues affecting the child labor problem in the Philippines, it is definitely caused more by the economic difficulties. In spite of the newly-found positive economic developments in the Philippines, the changes have not reduced poverty at all. In fact, over thirty-three percent of the population continues to live under the nationally established poverty line (SOS Children’s Villages). Also because the population is increasing, there has actually been a significant rise in the number of people living in poverty. In addition to these issues, the wealth created has been unequally distributed throughout the country. These current economic hardships make the people vulnerable to the false promises of human traffickers. Thus the Philippines is a recognized destination country for the cross-border trafficking of children for the purpose of forced labor. And so if the economic situation was more stable, there would be a less serious child labor problem in the country.
ReplyDeleteSources:
SOS Children’s Villages. General Information on the Philippines. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
While Monique’s argument about the social factors contributing to child labor in the Philippines is justifiable based on Filipino tradition, Nicole is correct in saying that the issue arises mainly from economic instability. Poverty is the main reason why children are forced into labor at such young ages. When parents become unemployed or can no longer support themselves financially based on their earnings alone, it becomes the duty of the child to contribute. Instead of sending their children to school, parents send them off to work because they cannot do without the income that a working child brings in (ILO-IPEC). Since most cannot meet the costs of sending their child to school, education is out of the question and work becomes the only option. Another reason for the increase in the number of working children is the demand for child laborers. Many advantages come along with hiring children, especially the fact that they represent a passive work force and could be hired at a fraction of what it costs to employ adults. Employers also gain a competitive advantage in national and international markets in hiring children due to the low wages that child workers are given. As long as Filipino families continue to overlook providing their child with a decent quality universal education and the demand for child laborers remains high, increased child participation in the labor market is to be expected (ILO-IPEC).
ReplyDelete"International Labour Organization-International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (ILO-IPEC)." ILO. Philippine ILO, 1998. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. .
I believe that Monique, Nicole, and Ali all have valid views with good supporting evidence, but they are missing a very important factor. Poverty caused by economic laws as well as ethical traditions within the Philippines play huge roles in the high number of child laborers within the country today, but my peers failed to acknowledge the political aspect of it. I believe that the political weakness of the Filipino state from its very beginnings is what leads to these social and economic problems. The lack of a strong centralized government of the native Filipinos back in the 16th century when Spain first took control is an example of the roots of the political problems of the nation (Philippine History). It is the responsibility of a government to look out for the well-being of its citizens, and this includes the economic and social aspects of its peoples. The weak leaders of the country do not push to improve the economy, and this leads to poverty, which in turn leads to the social ill of child labor. Irresponsible government spending coupled with shaky political leadership are main reasons as to why the Philippines is so poor (Dela Cruz). I think that a deeper look into the politics and the history of the country provide a more accurate analysis on the roots of child labor within the Philippines today.
ReplyDeleteDela Cruz, Roderick T. "The Roots of Philippine Poverty." Preda Foundation. Preda Foundation, Inc., 15 Dec. 2011. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
Philippine History. PHILIPPINE-HISTORY.ORG , 23 Jan. 2012. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
Taking into account the views of my peers, I now see that the problem of child labor in the Philippines is not caused by social issues alone. While the social issues of education and tradition do play a major role, so do economics and politics. The economic situation in the Philippines is unstable and had lead to a rise in child labor. When parents cannot work they must send their children in to work for them. Also employers are more likely to hire child laborers because they gain an international economical advantage. A decentralized government has lead to the rise of child laborers. Since the Philippines lack a strong leader, proper child labor laws cannot be made and followed. While social issues do play a role in the high percentage of child labor in the Philippines, economical and political issues play a role just as important.
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