Mary Kay Grajo, Airene Rose Ruiz, Joshua Fuentesfina
In a data released by Cameleon Association Incorporation in April 2018, “Results from the Philippines Child Labour Survey indicate that 13.4 percent of boys and 8.4percent of girls ages 5 to 14 are in economic activity. A combined total of 11.0 percent of all children in that age group are working.”
The Philippines grows its economy through the production of agricultural products, it makes sense that a part of the population is working on farms and plantations. In a survey by ILO in 2011 “Children work in farms and plantations, in dangerous mines, on streets, in factories, and in private homes as child domestic workers. Agriculture remains to be the sector where most child laborers can be found at 58 percent.”
The situation in Sagay contributes to these percentage. Seeing children working instead of attending school, playing, and enjoying their childhood makes the researchers ponder if Art. 3 Sec. 10 of PD 603 which provides that every child has the right to the care, assistance, and protection of the State, particularly when his parents or guardians fail or are unable to provide him with his fundamental needs for growth, development, and improvement still safeguards the welfare of these young laborers.
Philippine Legal Research 