Child workers
IT is certainly saddening, distressing and lamentable to know that child labor still worries government authorities, parents, school officials and even church leaders.
In the view of various quarters, concerned government offices and agencies find it hard to wipe out child labor because of the worsening problem of poverty.
Of course, people understand why some parents and guardians, particularly in the countryside, encourage or even force their children to stop going to school.
“Dahil kulang na kulang ang kinikita ng tatay, nanay o nakatatandang kapatid, napipilitan ang mga bata na magtrabaho na rin,” said an elderly person with disability.
That’s why we commend Rizal Rep. for calling on his colleagues in Congress to review existing laws aimed at protecting the welfare of children.
Nograles, chair of the House Committee on Labor and Employment, cited RA No. 9231 or the Special Protection of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.
We agree with Congressman Nograles when he said that there’s a need to “find out if our laws are still enough to protect the welfare of the children against child labor.”
The government ought to come up with more protection services, quality education and better economic opportunities that would mitigate the effect of poverty on families.
Poverty and culture are the biggest hindrances in the fight against child labor in the country, where there were 1.23 million working children aged 5 to 17 years old in 2021.
Nograles is on the right track in calling for the review of all laws designed to protect the welfare of our children.
