Empleyadong Musmos:

A Qualitative Study on the Perception of the Youth towards

A Research Paper Presented to the

Faculty of College of Education

University of Rizal System

Taytay, Rizal

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

in the Child and Adolescent Learner

and Learning Principles

Angelo B. David

Michelle B. Pillado

Michael Angelo R. Prino

November 2019
 I. THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

Introduction

Child labour is a state of work that deprives the youth of their childhood by means

of exerting excessive psychological and physical efforts towards hazardous or vigorous

tasks not befitting for their age range and capability. It is close to about 250 million

children are working in the whole world. An estimation of about 150 million of these

children are working in dangerous conditions. In addition, more than 1 million of these

children will be victims of human trafficking. (Humanium, 2010) Child labour is a

rampant and contemporary issue that continues to thrive in the Philippines.

Background of the Study

According to the Children sector of Philippine Statistics Authority in 2011, there are

about 2.1 million child laborers in the country. 95% of the considered population has

been involved in tremendous hazardous work, 69% of them are aged around 15-17 who

are still considered minor as likewise of the rest. These children came from a variety of

working arenas, primarily on urban streets, underground mines, factories and farms to

which PSA also claimed to have the highest child labor population count against all

sectors before the agricultural grounds. (2011)

The developmental effects of child labour concerns almost every aspect and well-

being of the population concerned. As claimed by the International Labor Rights Forum,

child labour can heavily affect the social development of a child for working rather than

playing with peers. The forum also added that this could lead to problematic social

behaviors such as depression, isolation, aggression and drug use among many others,
as caused by a child's involvement to a hazardous environment rather than attending

and studying at school. Most importantly, it brings negative effect to the overall

educational development of these youthful individuals as they are kept deprived of

learning due to the excessive physical demands of labor, without magnifying other

areas of development (i.e: cognitive, emotional, physiological) which puts a higher risk

at effecting developmental delays. (2011)

As referenced from a Swiss dissertation paper by Galli (2001), the primary

determinant of child labor has always been the presence of extreme poverty among

several countries in the world. It bears both short and long term consequences and

effects on micro family aspects, household income, overall market and capital,

technological change and even gender plus income inequalities. In conclusive

representation of all aforementioned effects, child labour was considered wide and

growing in both theoretical and applied economics, while simultaneously harming child

and overall human development of individuals involved.

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to achieve the following:

1. Determine the perception of youth regarding child labour.

2. Propose possible resolutions to reduce and/or eliminate child labour.

3. Realize all the possible effects of child labour towards all areas of child development

to open an awareness about the issue.

The study is significant to the following:

Families - This study will help households in considering family planning in order to

commit to financial preparations in securing both family and children welfare. In

essence, this will also help families prepare in satisfying their children's developmental

stages.

Children - This study will open an understanding towards children of the importance of

studying at school than choosing to work at their young age.

Corporations - This can help companies reestablish application policies, particularly in

re-adjusting age qualifications to further reduce cases of child labour.

Government - The study can be a method in discovering new plans and courses of

action to promote and secure child welfare and development.

Scope and Limitations

The study revolves around determining the perception of youth towards child labour

which is only limited to the subjects residing in Taytay, Rizal.

Theoretical Framework

The theory utilized for the study is under the influence of Erik Erikson’s Psychosocial

Development, particularly covering two psychosocial crises, Industry vs. Inferiority for

ages 7-12, and Identity vs. Role Confusion for child laborers aged 12-17. These two are
purposely chosen to align the demands of labor for the respondents’ competence, if

there are changes to the fundamental psychosocial structures of children along the

supposed age spectrum; who commit to labor at their early age, instead of participating

in child play or other suggested activities within the stages.

Review of Related Literature

A. Related Studies

According to Bonga and Del Rosario, (2000, local) both underemployment and

unemployment that worsened poverty in the Philippines are considered major push

factors to the occurrence of persistent child labours.

This is synonymous to the claims of Arends-Kuenning and Duryea (2003, foreign)

wherein, poverty is also the main cause of child labour in Brazil that tremendously

brings negative impact on school attendance and academic absorption following far

more favorable opportunities in Brazilian labour markets. The study insists a growing

gap between school and work aspects among Brazilian children in urban areas

regardless of gender differences.

Aldaba, Lanzona and Tamangan (2004) pointed out that, child labour's very

presence in the country is not just caused by poverty alone but also by the lack of

economic opportunities to sustain households, forcing even the children within premise

to exert efforts at such an early age.

According to Hindman (2014, foreign), child labour is an intense problem of social

and economic proportions throughout global development. Although there are few

countries that insist favorable trends from it such as Brazil, Mexico, Turkey and

Vietnam, child labour remains to be an intolerable opportunity among the youth for

being put into dangerous and overworking conditions unfit for their ages because of

certain necessities and circumstances, robbing from them their own childhood.

Emerson and Souza (2003) pointed out in their book that in economics, much of the

recent theoretical literature has centered attention on the fact that the choice to send

children to work is most considered made not by the children themselves but by

households who do so because of dire need. This was highly reflected on Brazilian

households.
 II. METHODOLOGY OF RESEARCH AND SOURCES OF DATA

Research Method

The research is qualitative and descriptive in nature, in essence of the

procedures of a case study.

Setting of the Study

The study is conducted around the premises of Taytay, Rizal particularly along

Tiangge and New Public Market

Subject of the Study

The subjects of the study were purposively picked, following the qualifications

that fit to the objectives. Ages eligible for the study about child laborers range from 10

above and not less than 17.

Sources of Data

The data were gathered through recorded interviews following the inquiry of

particular questions that align to the study.

Interview Questions:

1. Why did you choose to get a job? Were you willing to choose it?

2. Where do you invest your income?

3. Were you dictated or forced to do this job?

4. Are you still studying?

5. How much is your approximate income?

7. Are you contented with the job that you’re in?

8. How long have you been doing this job?

9. If you’re given a chance to stop from this job and take a new direction, will you

take it?

10. If no, why are you continuing the commitment to this job?

Research Procedure

The researchers met on a weekend to pursue the interviews within the premises

of Taytay, Rizal. From there, the respondents were carefully picked according to

purpose and full consideration of their age range so as to maintain alignment, integrity

and validity of qualifications towards the Psychosocial Development stages implied.

Exhibit A

Respondent A is primarily motivated at such a young age to commit labors for

her personal sustenance as she strives to accomplish the school year as a Grade 5

student. She suggested that she’s not forced to partake the particular demands of the

tasks because of the benefit it will give her and her studying progress at school.

Exhibit B

Respondent B’s answers to the questions in concise compression, suggested

that her submission to labor around the Taytay Market at such a young age was

primarily linked to the urge of daily survival following a recovery from her broken

household, and the responsibility to sustain the needs of her eight siblings. She

declined the ideal chance of studying again due to her contentment in generating

income from the products she sells, calling it the livelihood that she knew eleven years

ago until now.

Exhibit C

Respondent C’s answers correspond to the particular motivation of labor due to

the hopeful recovery from the Marawi incident. She’s also driven to contribute this
recovery for her family, while also maintaining the desire to continue her studies and

pursue her dreams to become a teacher.

Exhibit D

Respondent D’s responses to child labor were driven primarily to assist financial

standings with the family situation whilst still holding her hopes to pursue the desire to

study criminology if given the chance.

Exhibit E

Respondent E’s compliance to selling clothes at Tiangge is motivated by family

ties to the clothing business. In a refreshing perspective, she’s both doing the job and is

studying, hence all particular requirements from both stages of psychosocial

development are most probably fulfilled by their stable living.

Exhibits F and G,

Respondents F and G were young construction workers who submitted to the

vigorous demands of construction activities which are to be fulfilled for the purpose of

gaining salary to attend to family or personal needs. Having no factors which forced

them to work at their ages, they relied fully on understanding their current situation

without letting go of their dreams if given the chance to pursue the careers they wish to

become professionals on.

Respondents H, I and J were a batch of young boys who work at a junk shop in

Taytay. These children are contented with the way they are earning money, hence

putting academic opportunities either at bay or willing to be pursued. They all mirrored

the same importance as to why they are doing the job. It is either sustenance to

personal necessities or aid to fulfilling resolution over family adversities and other

concerns.

.
 IV. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Findings

The responses from the interviews highly suggest that child labor interferes with

the essential requirements of the stages Industry vs. Inferiority and Identity vs. Role

Confusion as per Erik Erikson’s description because labor interrupts the children’s

supposed righteous progression either at the playground or at school. With this

interruption, the future endeavors are mostly affected as well because the income

generation from their labor has overshadowed the desire to pursue or resume their

studies. Family also plays a huge role to child labor, in fact the struggle or lack of

support from households raised higher probability in having these children to actually

place commitment in labor. Most importantly, due to these demands, most respondents

preferred staying at their jobs because it actually generates obvious income which can

give as much early aid as possible to their personal or family adversities, than schooling

which is more of an expense if chosen. However, choosing the route of labor may open

chances to missing important areas of psychosocial development from which the two

stages are majorly concerned.

Conclusion
 Therefore, from the findings of this study, one important essence to comply with

the necessary essentials of psychosocial development in particular with the two

emphasized stages - is the ability and willingness of families to bring full commitment in

child support. If a child is fully supported and guided carefully within their ages which

need it most, the probabilities of child labor rates may drop down. With this, the effects

brought by the unfit labor for their age and the reasons that spawn as to why they do it

may be translated into a far more appropriate alignment to human development.

Recommendation

The researchers can only suggest the integration of family planning programs

and proper child support. This can be done through the promotion of such endeavors

via seminars, conferences and etc. that will further boost knowledge and awareness

towards the rampant presence of the issue and its subjects.