Rising number of child workers blamed on poverty, irresponsible parents

MANILA, Philippines - Leaders of the Catholic Church on Thursday said the growing number of child workers is an indication of the worsening poverty in the country.

Diocese of Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez also attributed the rising number of child laborers to irresponsible parents.

Based on data from the National Statistics Office, the number of child laborers in the Philippines has already reached 5.5 million.

Vazquez said most of these children have been forced to work to fend for their families as their parents are both jobless.

Many parents, mostly farmers and fishermen, bring along their children to help in their work, the prelate added.

"Actually, dalawa po ang dahilan kung bakit napipilitan ang bata na magtrabaho. Una, ang mga parents ay really irresponsible. Kaya ang mga bata ay nagsikap na mabuhay ang pamilya. Kaya tumutulong sila. Pangalawa, hindi nga enough ang income ng mga parents kaya ang mga bata tinutulungan nila ang kanilang mga magulang. Kaya ang iba ay hindi nag-aaral. Poverty and irresponsiblity ng ibang parents kaya ang mga bata ay nagtatrabaho," the bishop told Church-run Radyo Veritas.

Bishop Vasquez said many of the anti-poverty and poverty alleviation programs of the national government have not been properly implemented in the grass roots level.

Fr. Kunegundo Garganta, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Youth, called on the government to find a concrete solution to the problem of child labor.

"So, mula dito, asahan natin ang gobyerno na gumawa talaga ng mga programa at tugon sa kalagayan na ito ng mga kabataan. Sa Simbahan lagi tayong nakakaasa na magiging tinig tayo, magiging boses tayo sa pag-papaalaala na hindi ito dapat na ordinaryong kalagayan o katayuan ng mga bata," Garganta said.