IN February, a video of a three-year-old boy plowing the field in an unknown place went viral on social media. In May, a video of 10-year-old Reymark Mariano plowing land in Sultan Kudarat with the help of a horse also went viral on social media.
Child labor is one of the most urgent problems all over the world. The International Labor Organization (ILO) said child labor deprives children of their childhood, their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. In the Philippines, there are 2.1 million child laborers aged five to 17 years old, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2011 Survey on Children.
The number of children in child labor has risen to 160 million worldwide—an increase of 8.4 million children in the last four years—with millions more at risk due to the impacts of Covid-19, according to a new report by the ILO and UNICEF—Child Labor: Global estimates 2020, trends and the road forward—that was released ahead of World Day Against Child Labor on June 12. The report warns that progress to end child labor has stalled for the first time in 20 years, reversing the previous downward trend that saw child labor fall by 94 million between 2000 and 2016.
The report points to a significant rise in the number of children aged five to 11 years in child labor, who now account for over half of the total global figure. The number of children aged five to 17 years in hazardous work—defined as work that is likely to harm their health, safety or morals—has risen by 6.5 million to 79 million since 2016.
“The new estimates are a wake-up call. We cannot stand by while a new generation of children is put at risk,” said ILO Director-General Guy Ryder. “Inclusive social protection allows families to keep their children in school even in the face of economic hardship. Increased investment in rural development and decent work in agriculture is essential. We are at a pivotal moment and much depends on how we respond. This is a time for renewed commitment, to turn the corner and break the cycle of poverty and child labor.”
As part of the International Year for the Elimination of Child Labor, the global partnership Alliance 8.7, of which UNICEF and ILO are partners, is encouraging member-states, business, trade unions, civil society, and regional and international organizations to redouble their efforts in the global fight against child labor by making concrete action pledges.
The Philippines has been doing its share to eliminate child labor. In September 2019, President Duterte signed Executive Order 92 institutionalizing the National Council Against Child Labor to help further implement the Philippine Program Against Child Labor Strategic Framework. EO 92 formally changed the name of the National Child Labor Committee to the National Council Against Child Labor. However, the enforcement of child labor laws remains challenging, especially due to the limited number of inspectors, lack of resources for inspections, and inspectors’ inability to assess penalties.
To reverse the upward global trend in child labor, the ILO and UNICEF are calling for: 1) Adequate social protection for all, including universal child benefits. 2) Increased spending on free and good-quality schooling and getting all children back into school—including children who were out of school before Covid-19. 3) Promotion of decent work for adults, so families don’t have to resort to children helping to generate family income. 4) An end to harmful gender norms and discrimination that influence child labor. 5) Investment in child protection systems, agricultural development, rural public services, infrastructure and livelihoods.
The worst forms of child labor include slavery such as the sale and trafficking of children, child pornography or prostitution, and using children in illegal activities such as trafficking of illegal drugs. The government must pull out all the stopsto eliminate child labor in the country. It’s a sad and unfortunate reality that millions of Filipino children are being forced to work. We can help end child labor. We can help open opportunities for poor Filipino children to attend school and prepare for a bright future.