MANILA (UCAN): The economic crisis in the Philippines brought about by the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has fuelled a rise in child labour, according to a government report.
Children have become “collateral damage from pandemic” as families are forcing them to work under tedious conditions and in dangerous environments, said the report issued by the Department of Labour and Employment.
The department launched a campaign called Project Angel Tree to rescueg and prevent children of poor rural families from being forced into child labour.
Bishop Rex Alarcon of Daet, chairpersonof the bishops’ Commission on Youth, said a concerted approach by Church and government leaders was necessary to address child labour in the Philippines.
“We need to intensify efforts to protect the most vulnerable, especially the children. The situation of children being forced to work is a very sad and unfortunate reality. Our authorities should continue to work for their safety and well-being,” he said.
A recent International Labour Organisation (ILO) and UNICEF study also revealed that child labour cases were on the rise due to poverty brought by Covid-19.
“As the pandemic wreaks havoc on family incomes, without support, many could resort to child labour,” ILO director-general, Guy Ryder, said recently, adding that while medical matters are important in a pandemic, so is the social protection of children.
“Social protection is vital in times of crisis, as it provides assistance to those who are most vulnerable. Integrating child labour concerns across broader policies for education, social protection, justice, labour markets, and international human and labour rights makes a critical difference,” he said.
The Philippine Statistics Office also said nearly 50,000 or four per cent of about 1.4 million Filipino domestic workers are minors. The government figures revealed that almost 5,000 of them were aged 14 or under.
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Bishop Alarcon warned those employing them, as well as the business sector, that employing children aged 14 and under was illegal.
“While it may be a complex situation … the government and all sectors of society must strive to end this unfortunate situation as it opens children to further exploitation,” he added.
Lay groups battling child labour welcomed Bishop Alarcon’s call.
Human rights group, Karapatan, said children’s rights are part of human rights protected by international law.
It also said that the protection of children’s rights must be one of the issues future government leaders of this country should uphold.
