A study in 1998 revealed that a US based multinational company, Dole, employed child workers on its banana plantations. Children as young as 11 worked for 5 to 11 hours on the plantations and earned 50 to 86 pesos per day (US$- 9 cents to 1 dollar 6 cents). Children worked in order to help support their families since the wages that their parents earned were insufficient to make ends meet. Most children started out by shuffling their time between School/Informal School and work on the plantations but soon gave up their education in order to earn more wages. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
A study done by ILO in 1999 showed that the average age of children working in Small- scale mining in Philippines was 10-14 years old. None of the children, surveyed in the study, were wage-employed or had an employer. Children were mostly involved in over-ground work such as carrying heavy sacks of stone, carrying ore, cleaning stones and the like. Children were paid lower than adults though their work wasn’t much different. Most children were paid around 8 pesos (US$- 2 cents) by piece rate for carrying sacks of stones or pails of water. Most children worked to contribute to the family income and help in making ends meet. (Note: mining ranks first among hazardous operations in Philippines).
A study done in 2000 exposed that, children as young as 4 years old worked for a German garment Multinational Company with 48 branches around the world. Children were paid by piece rate. A 4 to 6-year-old child worker who did ‘simple jobs’ earned 5 pesos a day (US$- 1 cent) and an 11 year-old child earned 10 pesos (US$- 18 cents). Children worked for 8 to 11 hours a day Monday to Friday and during pre-Christmas peak hours, they worked on Saturday and Sunday as well.
According to the National Statistics Office of Philippines, 1 in every 6 children had to work to help support their families in 2001, and most of them laboured unpaid. Four million of the 25 million Filipino children were ‘economically active’ in 2001.
A survey released on December 3rd this year revealed that child labourers in both urban and rural areas in Philippines continue to be underpaid. Most children worked in order to help support their families and save money so that they could go to school.
The Constitution of Philippines does not allow children below the age of 18 to be employed. Philippines is a signatory to the ILO Convention 182 on Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour (28th November 2000) and the UN Convention on Rights of the Child (21st August 1990).
ACTION
1.Spread the Word: Increase Awareness
- Post this information on notice boards, and other places that are Visible.
- Inform your friends/family/colleagues about continuing exploitation of children in the Philippines.
- Think of other creative means to broadcast this message.
2. Initiate Letter Writing Campaigns: You can write to any or all of the below mentioned authorities.
- Write to the President of Philippines,
- Write to the Secretary for Labour.
GUIDE: In your letter emphasize the need for the government of Philippines to enforce laws governing children’s rights more effectively and ensure that children are not the victims of corruption.
IMPORTANT: Your letter may only be two lines but do write and work towards changing the lives of the 4 million child labourers denied their rights in Philippines.
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO
1. Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President of the Philippines
Fax: +632 736 1010 or +632 733-2107
Email: pgma@compass.com.ph or opnet@ops.gov.ph
2. Ms. Patricia Santo Thomas
Secretary of Labour,
Fax: +632 527 3494/ 2131/ 2116
Email: osec@dole.gov.ph
Send copy of letter to acr@ahrchk.net
Posted on 2002-12-11
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