Children of the Philippines

The heart of the Philippines resides in its 36 million children. But that heart is rapidly being damaged by various forms of abuse and exploitation. The population of this expansive nation exceeds 70 million, which means nearly half are children, many of whom are in desperate need of help.

Street Children
There are over 1.5 million street children living in the various areas around the Philippines , and this is estimated to rise annually by around 6,365 children per year. They have to beg for their food, and are often forced into criminal activities such as stealing and robbery.

Out of these 1.5 million street children, around 60,000 are forced to work as prostitutes. The average increase each year of prostitutes in the Philippines is estimated to be around 3,266. The Philippines comes fourth in the world when it comes down to whom has the most prostituted children.

There are many reasons why Filipino children are driven to live on the streets. Poverty is perhaps one of the biggest reasons, but breakdown of a child's family or a breakdown in the community structure can also be a major influence too.

There are many hazards to face on the streets, including malnourishment, sickness, and sexual exploitation, along with harassment from the police and extortionists, street fights, vehicle accidents, and exposure to substance abuse.

Many of these children feel unloved and abandoned and they feel like they have a hopeless existence - something no child should ever have to feel. The majority of street children are young boys (around 56% and over), most in the 11 to 14 age range. [2]

Child Labour
More than 3.5 million children aged from 5 to 17 years old work under gruelling conditions, in spite of legislation outlawing child labour. 60% of them are found working in the rural areas. [1a]

The Convention on the Minimum Age for Admission for Employment states that admission to paid work should not be less than the age for completion of compulsory education. In any case, no-one under the age of 15 should be put to work - with the exception of some domestic work. That means that millions of children in the Philippines are illegally working each day.

Boys are more likely to work in the Philippines than girls, and the number of children working increases in the older age brackets. 11% of children from rural areas work on a permanent basis, predominantly in agriculture.

Child workers tend to be underweight and undernourished, as the conditions they are forced to work in are intensive and unhygienic. They are also exposed to a variety of chemical, biological, and physical hazards.

The principal chemical risk in farm activities comes from exposure to toxic fumes from insecticides, followed by noxious liquids and dust. In other regions, amoebiasis comprises the leading biological hazard, followed by fungal, viral, and bacterial infections. Physical hazards include overexposure to the sun, excessive noise, and faulty equipment. It is a sad fact that 4 out of 5 working children don't have access to any safety equipment. [3]

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