Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Agenzia Fides) - According to statistics from the International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2010 there were more than 2.4 million Filipino working children and 215 million around the world. About 18 000 children, mostly between 10 and 14, working in mining in the Philippines. In addition to being exposed to dust and chemicals made from mercury, which cause serious damage to the brain, they often become rickety because of the weight they must carry. Among other activities, they are also involved in dangerous deep-sea fishing, work in the fireworks industry, plantations, in the butcher`s trade or as domestic help. The highest number of child workers is in the agriculture field: more than two million, of which 1.4 million are not older than 15. According to statistics in 2001, agriculture employed 2.3 million or 60% of the total number of children between 5 and 17 years of age.
The International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC), ILO project, plans to protect children exploited in the worst forms of child labour by offering parents the opportunity to earn and support the other family members with alternative sources of income . The areas which are in force in the IPEC projects include the agricultural province of Quezon, where the Ministry of Education is sending " moving teachers" to remote areas to educate children who leave school during the harvest. In the province of Bukidnon, known for its sugar plantations, the IPEC will establish a community school for indigenous and tribal people. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 04/16/2011)
