1

Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Problem and Its Setting

The issue on child labor continueS to exist not only

in the Philippines but in other regions of the world. It

is prohibited, yet, a lot are doing it. Child labor robs

children of their childhood, their potential, and their

dignity, as well as being detrimental to their physical

and mental development.

In the Philippines, child labor and its worst forms

refer to all sorts of slavery and similar activities,

including employment that is hazardous or likely to be

harmful to children's health, safety, or morality by its

very nature or the circumstances in which it is carried

out.

The child who is forced to beg on the streets and

make money; a child prostitute who contributes to the

tourist industry's growth. In mines and quarries, the

freed body is digging out earth. The girl is employed as

a servant in a private residence. Scavenging in dumpsites

by a child. The runner is assisting in the distribution

of illegal drugs. A teenage displaying more skin in the

social media is necessary. Child labor has a lot of

different faces. It is work that puts children's health

or safety at jeopardy, interferes with or inhibits their

 2

education, or keeps them away from play and other crucial

activities.

Furthermore, the United Nations Convention on the

Rights of the Child views child labor as a human right

violation. Child labor is considered to be damaging, and

to violate children's rights as it hampers children’s

appropriate emotional, physiological, psychological and

social development. The CRC aims to free children from

“economic exploitation and from performing any work that

is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the

child’s education or to be harmful to the child’s health

or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social

development” (Article 32, CRC).

Moreover, the 1987 Philippine Constitution ensures

the rights of children to assistance and protection from

neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation and other

conditions prejudicial to their development (Art. XV,

Sec. 3, Item 2). If this is so, why are there still

children engaged in hard labor?

Article 139, Chapter II, Title III, Book III of the

Labor Code establishes the minimum employable age and

prohibits the employment of anybody under the age of

eighteen (18) in any endeavor recognized by the

Department of Labor and Employment to be hazardous or

injurious in character. Article 140 makes it illegal to

discriminate against anyone based on their age when it

comes to work terms and circumstances. Subject to the

 3

Secretary of Labor's approval, a child of at least 14

years of age may be employed in apprenticeable

occupations in highly technical industries under Book II

of the Labor Code (As amended by Section 1, Executive

Order No. 111, December 24, 1986.)

Likewise, Book III, Chapter III of the same code

allows children under 18 years of age to be employed as

household helpers, provided that their employer gives

them the opportunity for at least an elementary

education, the cost of which shall be part of the

helper’s compensation, unless otherwise stipulated.

According to recent ILO (International Labor

Organization) survey statistics, 95% of Philippine

children aged 10 to 14 are in school, and 13% of children

in the same age group are involved in economic

activities. Around 85% are in school only, 11% mix school

and work, 3% are idle (not in school or job), and 2% are

in work just. Boys are slightly less likely to be in

school and are more likely to work (15 percent against

10%). In the Philippines, children in this age range are

not permitted to engage in commercial activities, despite

the fact that implementation of such regulations has been

under-resourced, at least until the establishment in 2015

of an interagency coordination group.1

The ILO calls government authorities' attention to

abolish various forms of child labor in their area.

1
U.S. Department of Labor. 2016. “Philippines: 2015 Findings on the Worst Forms of
Labor: Significant Advancement.”
 4

However, the government is attempting, but failing, to

curb child labor because they do not want to insult

parents with working children, thus, many local officials

disregard child labor issues.

Child labor is also present in Catarman, Northern

Samar, particularly in Barangay Bangkerohan. Due to

poverty, some families, according to barangay officials,

allow their children to work at a young age. This is to

assist the parents in meeting the daily demands of their

family. With such a scenario of children, the barangay

local government unit (BLGU) took no action since they

lacked the capacity to help and assist these families in

their daily subsistence, even if they were beneficiaries

of the DSWD flagship program, the Pamilyang Pantawid

Pilipino Program (4Ps). This is particularly alarming

because their children's education is neglected.

As a result, the goal of this study is to conduct an

assessment of the child laborers in Barangay Bangkerohan,

Catarman, Northern Samar, in order to pave the way for

future chances of helping these children avoid child

labor abuses.
 5

Statement of the Problem

This study is designed to determine the extent of

child labor in Barangay Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern

Samar.

Specifically, this study attempts to answer the

following questions:

1. What is the socio-demographic characteristics of

the child laborers in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 sex;

1.3 education;

1.4 income from labor;

1.5 type of work employed; and

1.6 years of work as a laborer?

2. What is the extent of child labor practices in

Barangay Bangkerohan, Catarman, N. Samar?

3. What are the causes of child labor in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, N. Samar?

4. What are the effects of child labor in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, N. Samar?

5. What is the significant relationship between the

extent of child labor practices and the

characteristics of the respondents?

 6

Objectives of the Study

The following are the objectives of the study:

1. Describe the characteristics of the child laborers

in terms of:

1.1 age;

1.2 sex;

1.3 education;

1.4 income from labor;

1.5 type of work employed; and

1.6 years of work as a laborer;

2. Determine the extent of child labor practices in

Barangay Bangkerohan, Catarman, N. Samar;

3. Find out the causes of child labor in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, N. Samar;

4. Find out the effects of child labor in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, N. Samar; and

5. Find out the significant relationship between the

extent of child labor practices and the

characteristics of the respondents.

Significance of the Study

Child laborers. As the primary beneficiary, findings

from this study could merit the child laborers in

Barangay Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar. As such,

provision of laws as regards abolition of child labor

would permit them to enjoy their rights as children.

 7

Parents. The result of this study may provide

insights for the parents to avoid letting their children

work at an early age. In this way, they could find

possible and legal means to support their family other

than sending their children to work.

LGU-Catarman. The result of this study may serve as

baseline information for the barangay officials and the

local officials in the municipality to provide adequate

assistance to the children who are into child labor.

Multisectoral actions especially with the involvement of

local governments, NGOs, and people’s organizations are

critical for effective and sustainable community-based

initiatives may be made to eradicate child labor

practices in the municipality.

Department of Social Welfare and Development. The

result of this study may substantially push the DSWD

personnel to intensively monitor the 4Ps beneficiaries

especially on the status of their children's education.

This is to discourage and avoid child labor practices

which usually happen in families living within the

poverty line.

Department of Labor and Employment. The findings of

this study may urge the DOLE to monitor establishments or

residents that employ children. Through this, they could

establish legal means to penalize those establishments

employing child workers in Catarman, Northern Samar which

would essentially eradicate the problem on child labor.

 8

NGO advocates on child labor. The result of this

study may allow NGO advocates on the eradication of child

labor to provide programs, projects and activities aiming

at restoring children’s rights in the municipality.

Campaign programs and education awareness are probable

instruments that will likely improve awareness among

families on the eradication of child labor practices.

Future researchers. The findings of this study may

serve as reference for researchers who are interested to

conduct same kind of study.

Scope and Limitation

This is a descriptive-method research which aims to

determine the child labor practices in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar.

Child laborers ages 10-17 years will be the

respondents of the study. A survey questionnaire will be

used to gather relevant data for the study.

The timeframe of the study will take place during

the School Year 2021-2022. The first semester will be

devoted in crafting of the research proposal; while the

second semester will be devoted for writing the final

manuscript.

One of the limitations which this study may

encounter is locating the child laborers in the barangay

under study. Concealment of these child laborers may

 9

hamper data collection for fear of being caught by

authorities.

Theoretical Framework

The theory of Exploitative Child Labor developed by

Rogers and Swinnerton in 2002, states that children ended

up in exploitative child labor because their parents are

tricked by promises of a better life that prove not to be

true. Parents have some knowledge of the possibility of

exploitation when they enter their children into the

labor force. In equilibrium, they are willing or need to

gamble. On the other hand, some firms take advantage of

this willingness by exploiting children. But other firms

do not; in fact, if some firms did not indeed offer a

better life for children than they could obtain without

working at all, parents would not be willing to gamble.

Thus, trickery or deception as a route into exploitative

child labor can only exist as an equilibrium phenomenon

if parents have some reason to believe that their

children can be better off working, and that reason, we

presume, is that some children do end up better off by

working. 2

This study is also anchored on the Endogenous Growth

Theory advocated by Lucas in 1988 in his third economic

development model which puts emphasis on human capital

Carol Ann Rogers & Kenneth A. Swinnerton (2002) A Theory of Exploitative Child
Labor, retrieved from [Link]
 10

investment through schooling to attain economic

development. In this essence, the government needs to

invest in the education of its human capital for economic

development to come by. Human capital is defined to be

the stock of competencies, knowledge, habits, social and

personality attributes, including creativity, cognitive

abilities, embodied in the ability to perform labor so as

to produce economic value.3

Furthermore, neoclassical models of household

decision-making are commonly employed in the analysis of

child labor and are typically derivative of Becker

(1964). Models of household bargaining fall into two

broad categories: those in which children have no

bargaining power and those in which children have some

intrinsic value in the family. In models in which

children have no bargaining power in the household,

parents make decisions that serve their own interests,

without regard for the impact on the child. This class of

models lends analytical support for public policies that

constrain the choices that parents are allowed to make

for their children, e.g., compulsory schooling, minimum

age of work, a ban on bonded child labor, etc.4

3

A. Liening, "Growth Theory and Endogenous Human Capital Development: A

Contribution to the Theory of Complex Systems," Theoretical Economics Letters, Vol. 3 No. 2,
2013, pp. 96-104. doi: 10.4236/tel.2013.32016.
4

D.K. Brown, R.M. Stern, & A.V. Deardorff (2014) Child Labor: Theory, Evidence and
Policy, retrieved from
[Link]
olicy.
 11

Conceptual Framework

This study is based on the premise that the

characteristics of the child laborers in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar have a significant

relationship with the extent of child labor practices. On

sex, it is conceived in this study that the child labor

is practiced among male and female.

On education, children who do not attend schools are

more likely to engage in child labor than those children

who attend school.

On income from labor, this study assumes that

children who receive higher amount of money are more

likely to engage in child labor than children who receive

less from their work.

On type of work employed, this study assumes that

children engage in child labor regardless of the type of

work they are employed but on the basis of earning income

from it.

On years of work as a laborer, this study conceived

that that those children who work for a longer of period

of time may highly practice child labor than those who

worked for a shorter period of time.

 12

Paradigm

Independent Variables Dependent Variable

Characteristics of the child laborers

 Sex
 Education
 income from labor
 type of work employed
 years of work as a laborer

Extent of child labor practices

Causes and effects of child labor

Figure 1. A paradigm showing the relationship between the

characteristics and the extent of child labor practices
in Barangay Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar

Hypothesis

Null hypothesis

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between the

extent of child labor practices and the following

characteristics such as:

1.1 age

1.2 sex

1.3 education

1.4 income from labor

1.5 types of works employed

1.6 years of work as a laborer.

 13

Definition of Terms

The terms and concepts herein discussed are defined

operationally and conceptually to convey easy

understanding on the part of the readers.

Age. In this study, this refers to the children’s

time of life at which some particular qualifications,

power or capacity. Apparently, this pertains to the

number of years the child laborers in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar had lives since

birth.

Child. This a refers to a person below 18 years of

age or those over but are unable to fully take care of

themselves or protect themselves from abuse, neglect,

cruelty, exploitation or discrimination because of a

physical or mental disability or condition (RA 7610).5

Child labor. It is an illegal employment of children

below the age of fifteen, where they are not directly

under the sole responsibility of their parents or legal

guardian, or the latter employs other workers apart from

their children, who are not members of their families, or

their work endangers their life, safety, health and

morals or impairs their normal development including

schooling. It also includes the situation of children

5
[Link]
 14

below the age of eighteen [years] who are employed in

hazardous occupation (RA No. 7658).6

Child labor practices. As used in this study, this

refers to the regular activities engaged in by the

children in Barangay Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern

Samar which requires either hard or soft manual labor to

earn income.

Education. This refers to the level of education the

respondents attained.

Income from labor. This refers to the amount of

money received by the child laborers on a monthly or

daily basis.

Sex. This refers to the gender classification of the

respondents identified as either male or female.

Type of work employed. This refers to a kind of

work engaged in by the respondents.

Years of work as a laborer. This refers to the

number of months or years the respondents have been

engaged in child labor.

Republic of the Philippines, RA No. 7568, An Act Prohibiting the Employment of

Children Below 15 Years of Age in Public and Private Undertakings.
 15

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Characteristics of child laborers

Age. In 2011, there were about 3.3 million Filipino

children aged 5-17 who worked. Out of these, around 1.173

million or about 35% had not attended school due to work

with mostly children aged 15-17 followed by those aged

10-14 not attending school. 7

In many developing nations like the Philippines it

is normal for children contribute to the family and

household economy. Anthropological studies have

considered such contribution by children culturally

determined. For example, Stenning in 1962 shows how the

male children of Fulani pastoralists assume huge

responsibilities by the age of 7. At that age they are

considered competent enough to plan and execute daily

cattle grazing schedules. Given circumstances that

working children find themselves – financial, social or

7

Philippine Statistics Authority, Final Results of the 2011 Survey on Children, Table 3,
[Link]
worked-during-past-weekwas-33-million.
 16

cultural – do all aspects of child labor violate child

rights? Ultimately one asks: does child labor

intrinsically violate child rights?8

Income from labor. The study of Nelson and Quiton

used a novel log linear analysis to identify the factors

that enhance and hamper working children’s effort to

receive education, stay healthy and engage in

recreational activities. It was found that the dropout

rate from school decreased when the number of working

hours and frequency of heavy physical work lessened.

Working for a relative, and when the child is an unpaid

worker did not affect their schooling as compared to

children who engaged in heavy physical work. Long working

hours meant less time for recreational activities. The

identification of these specific factors are useful for

policy makers in the Philippines who aim at reducing the

incidence of child labor.9

Only about 30% of child laborers get paid for their

primary occupation and about 40% get paid for their other

occupation. Among the unpaid child laborers, at least 90%

have their wages imputed using as basis the wages of paid

child laborers engaged in the same occupation, except for

unpaid child laborers engaged in other occupations during

8

Fernando T. Aldaba, Leonardo A. Lanzona And Ronald J. Tamangan (2004), An

Empirical Analysis on the Trade-off between Schooling and Child Labor in the Philippines,
Philippine Journal of Development Number 58, Second Semester 2004, Volume XXXI, No. 2.
9

Nelson, G. L. M., & Quiton, J. D. (2017). Child Labor and Its Effects on Schooling,
Health and Recreation of Filipino Children. Journal of Population and Social Studies [JPSS],
26(1), 68-82. Retrieved from [Link]
 17

the second quarter, where the proportion goes down to

81%.10

Some of these children are forced to work at a very

young age about three to five years old by their parents.

Often these parents become too dependent on their

children up to the extent that they just stay home and

let their children work and simply waits for the wages.

But in some cases, parents do not really want their

children stop going to school and work. They try their

best to earn in order to sustain the needs of the family

but due to circumstances they have no choice but to let

their children help them to earn a living. Because of

child labor they don’t have a deep relationship with each

other. “The family is, in fact, the communities first

socializing agency and the source of its strength and

stability.”11

Educational level. Even though a relationship

between child labor and school attendance may exist,

these factors only provide an indirect measure of the

educational consequences of the child’s involvement in

labor activities. In reality, other characteristics are

related to academic performance and the intensity of the

10

Ruperto P. Alonzo and Rosemarie G. Edillon (n.d.) ELIMINATING CHILD LABOR IN

THE PHILIPPINES, retrieved from [Link]
bangkok/---ilo-manila/documents/publication/wcms_437075.pdf.
11

A Study of Child Labor in the Philippines (n.d.), retrieved from

[Link]
 18

work. In fact, in certain cases, it is shown that working

minors also usually attend school, suggesting that

variables associated with academic performance are those

that show us the impact of child labor on the minor’s

education (Buonomo, 2011). 12

The study of Holgadoa investigated on the effects of

different variables of child labor on academic

performance are investigated. The results showed that

labor conditions, the number of weekly hours dedicated to

work, and the presence of work scheduled in the morning

negatively affected the academic performance of child

laborers. These results show that the relationship

between child labor and academic performance is based on

the conflict between these two activities. This study has

implications for the formulation of policies, programs,

and interventions for preventing, eradicating, and

attenuating the negative effects of child labor on the

social and educational development of children.13

Number of hours work. There are factors that also

affect the intensity of child labor. For instance, Rosati

and Rossi (2003) 14

found that the number of family members

12

Buonomo, M. (2011). The impact of child labor on schooling outcomes in Nicaragua.

Economics of Education Review, 30(6), 1527-1539.
13

Daniel Holgadoa, Isidro Maya-Jariegoa , Ignacio Ramosa , Jorge Palaciob , Óscar

OviedoTrespalaciosb , Vanessa Romero-Mendozab and José Amarb (n.d.) Impact of Child
Labor on Academic Performance: Evidence from the Program “Edúcame Primero Colombia,
retrieved from [Link]
14

Rosati, F. C., & Rossi, M. (2003). Children's Working Hours and School Enrollment:
Evidence from Pakistan and Nicaragua. The World Bank Economic Review, 17(2), 283- 295.
 19

in the home was negatively correlated to the number of

hours the child worked. Nonetheless, Murkjerhee and Das

found that in India, family size had an important effect

on dropping out of school and on increasing the incidence

of child labor. 15
In this sense, it is possible that

other factors in addition to the number of family members

are associated with the participation of minors in labor.

For instance, for Ravallion and Wodon, the family divides

the child’s between work and education according to the

family’s regular level of consumption and expenditures,

the child’s previous attendance to school and the time

dedicated to leisure by the family.16

Child labor practices

Child labor statistics reveal that poverty incidence

among families with child laborers was about twice the

national incidence rate. Furthermore, 85 percent of

children engaged in child labor were found in rural

areas, and most of these children were found in Northern

Mindanao, with about 22 percent child labor incidence.17

Income from child labor, therefore, is welcome to very

15

Mukherjee, D. & Das, S. (2008). Role of Parental Education in Schooling and Child
Labour Decision: Urban India in the Last Decade. Social Indicators Research, 89, 305- 322.
16
Ravallion, M., & Wodon, Q. (2000). Does Child Labour Displace Schooling?
Evidence on Behavioural Responses to an Enrollment Subsidy. The Economic Journal,
110(462), 158-175.
17

Alonzo, R. and R. Edillon. 2002. Eliminating Child Labor in the Philippines. Paper
submitted to the International Labour Organization as part of an ILO/ International
Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) study.
 20

low-income households notwithstanding the setting. Child

labor is necessary for the survival of the household as

resources and economic opportunities are not sufficient

to meet the household’s minimum basic needs. Related to

poverty is the lack or absence of economic opportunities

in the household’s localities. Año studied the situation

of child labor in the pyrotechnics industry. He finds

that there are no other viable enterprises that can serve

as livelihood sources for the community, thus the

alternative to engage in a rather dangerous work.18

Edralin’s indepth studies on the situations of

children in the pyrotechnics industry and prostitution

maintain that limited economic opportunities impel

children to engage in these worst forms of child labor. 19

Brillantes also mentions that employment of children in

domestic service is spurred by their impoverished

households, and children who participate in domestic

service come from economically depressed regions and

provinces in the Philippines, which are characterized by

lack of income-earning opportunities. The lack or absence

of income-providing economic opportunities pushes the

already poor household down to deeper poverty. Poverty

and the high cost of education for poor families are

18

Año, D. 2002. A Cursory Assessment study on the Situation of Child Labor in the
Pyrotechnics Industry. A manuscript submitted to the International Labour Organization as
part of an ILO/International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) study
19

Edralin, D. 2002. Indepth study on the Situation of Child Labor in the Pyrotechnics
Industry. Paper submitted to the International Labour Organization as part of an
ILO/International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) study.
 21

reasons mentioned in the literature why children of poor

households do not attend school. Poor households simply

cannot afford to send their children to school even with

free primary and secondary education. This is because

attendant costs of sending children to school may even be

too much for a low-income household. 20

Another reason which Edralin mentions in her study

was the lack of access to schools. Particularly in rural

areas, the distant location of schools relative to the

child’s place of work or dwelling becomes a factor to

consider.21

The study of Fernandez and Abocejo examined the

relationship between poverty and child labor in the

Philippines by region. It investigated how school

attendance of working children relates to poverty

incidence covering the period 2008-2012. Findings

revealed that poverty incidence and prevalence of child

labor were strongly correlated. Similarly, poverty

incidence strongly associates with the number of working

children not attending school. Poverty displaces these

children from school. School children are enticed to

participate in the labor force because of short-term

20

Brillantes,, R. 1996. Developing Strategic Services for Child Domestic Workers: Using
Survey Data on their Working and Living Conditions in Metro Manila, Manila: Bureau of
Women and Young Workers (BWYW), Department of Labor and Employment.
21

FERNANDO T. ALDABA, LEONARDO A. LANZONA AND RONALD J. TAMANGAN (2004)

An Empirical Analysis on the Trade-off between Schooling and Child Labor in the Philippines,
Philippine Journal of Development Number 58, Second Semester 2004, Volume XXXI, No. 2,
retrieved from [Link]
 22

income opportunities. There is, however, no relationship

between prevalence of child labor and the number of

working children not attending school. It is evident that

children have taken on the responsibility of augmenting

the household incomes and of providing the needs of their

households. There is also enough evidence that conclude

that poverty pushes children to participate in the labor

force for them augment household income.22

The study of Halgadoa, et al., determined the

effects of different variables of child labor on academic

performance are investigated. The results showed that

labor conditions, the number of weekly hours dedicated to

work, and the presence of work scheduled in the morning

negatively affected the academic performance of child

laborers. These results show that the relationship

between child labor and academic performance is based on

the conflict between these two activities. These results

do not indicate a linear and simple relationship

associated with the recognition of the presence or

absence of child labor. This study has implications for

the formulation of policies, programs, and interventions

for preventing, eradicating, and attenuating the negative

effects of child labor on the social and educational

development of children.23

22

Fernandez, Russell & Abocejo, Ferdinand. (2014). Child Labor, Poverty and School
Attendance: Evidences from the Philippines by Region. CNU Journal of Higher Education.
Volume 8. 114-127.
23
 23

Moreover, according to Webbink, Smits, and de Jong

propose a comprehensive model of different levels. For

these authors, the causes of child labor can be (a) the

resources related to family income, the job or the

education of the parents, (b) the structural

characteristics, such as the number of brothers or family

members, the availability of educational resources, and

the level of urbanization, and (c) the culture as it

relates to the existing values and norms associated with

child labor. 24

Amar et al., on the quality of life and mental

health of child laborers in Toluviejo, Colombia noted

that the entrenchment of child labor in the culture of

the country is a way for the child to contribute to the

family economy or a way for the child to learn vital

habits for the future. In addition, the authors note that

the reasons for the labor of minors reported by the

adults differ according to the children’s age. Thus, for

15- to 17-year-old youth, labor entails an important

contribution to their development and to the role that

they will carry out in the future. For younger children,

Daniel Holgadoa , Isidro Maya-Jariegoa , Ignacio Ramosa , Jorge Palaciob , Óscar

OviedoTrespalaciosb , Vanessa Romero-Mendozab and José Ama (n.d.) Impact of Child Labor
on Academic Performance: Evidence from the Program “Edúcame Primero Colombia, CORE,
retrieved from [Link]
24

Webbink, E., Smits, Jeroen, de Jong, E. (2011). Household and Context Determinants
of Child Labour in 221 Districs of 18 Developing Countries. Social Indicators Research, Online
First.
 24

an allusion is made to economic issues related to the

need for the child to contribute to the family income.25

Jensen and Nielsen showed a clear relationship

exists between poverty levels or low income and the

participation of children and teenagers in labor-related

activities. Elevated poverty levels can force families to

send their children to work, thereby preventing the

children from investing in the human capital developed by

their attending school. 26

Moreover, Murkjerhee and Das noted that among those

parents with greater educational levels, there is a lower

frequency of their children engaging in manual labor.

This finding is probably due to their awareness of the

negative effects of child labor on the child’s

development. 27
In this sense, Kim and Zepeda, who

investigated the factors related to children’s

involvement on family farms in the United States, found

that there are factors that affect youth in different

ways at different points of the work cycle, that is, as

they first begin working and at a certain point later in

their work cycle. 28

25

Amar, J., Palacio, J., Llinás, H., Puerta, L., Sierra, E., Pérez, A. M., & Velásquez, B.
(2008). Calidad de Vida y Salud Mental en Menores Trabajadores de Toluviejo [Quality of life
and mental health in child workers from Toluviejo]. Suma Psicológica, 15(2), 385- 410.
26

Jensen, P., & Nielsen, H. S. (1997). Child labour or school attendance? Evidence from
Zambia. Journal of Population Economics, 10(4), 407-424.
27

Mukherjee, D. & Das, S. (2008). Role of Parental Education in Schooling and Child
Labour Decision: Urban India in the Last Decade. Social Indicators Research, 89, 305- 322.
28
 25

In the first case, the decision of the parents for

their children to contribute to family work is influenced

by the consideration that this will benefit the children

in processes, such as social development, responsibility,

strengthening of family bonds, and vital learning.

However, the economic factors seem to have a greater

influence on the level of involvement of the children. In

fact, work decreases in intensity and duration when the

economic conditions of the family improve.29

Pedraza and Ribero found that when the head of the

family was the mother, the children and teenagers were

exclusively dedicated to studying, unlike those cases in

which the head of the family was the father. They

concluded that an exchange between the decision to

working or study apparently exists among children. That

is, there is a change, in varying degrees, among youth

from the educational context to that of labor, as there

can be cases where both activities are carried out

simultaneously. This combination of working and attending

school was significantly present among 12- to 17-year-old

youth. However, this was not the case with the group of

7- to 11-year old who devoted their time to school

attendance to a greater extent. This finding could be

partly due to the intensive campaigns that have been

Kim, J., & Zepeda, L. (2004). Factors Affecting Children's Participation and Amount
of Labor on Family Farms. Journal of Safety Research, 35(4), 391-401.
29

Lee, B. C., Jenkins, L. S., & Westaby, J. D. (1997). Factors Influencing Exposure of
Children to Major Hazards on Family Farms. The Journal of Rural Health, 13(3), 206- 215.
 26

carried out in Colombia in favor of the provision of

basic elementary education.30

26

Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

Locale of the Study

30

Pedraza, A. C., & Ribero, R. (2006). El Trabajo Infantil y Juvenil en Colombia y

Algunas De Sus Consecuencias Claves. Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y
Juventud., 4(1), 2-28.
 27

This study will be conducted in Barangay

Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar. Catarman,

officially the Municipality of Catarman, (Waray: Bungto

san Catarman; Tagalog: Bayan ng Catarman), is a 1st

class municipality and capital of

the province of Northern Samar, Philippines. According to

the 2020 census, it has a population of 97,879 people.

It is the largest municipality in terms of land area and

population in the province. It is the commercial,

educational, financial, political and government center

of the province.

Catarman lies on the northern part of Samar Island,

bounded to the east by Mondragon, to the west by Bobon,

to the south by Lope de Vega, and to the north by

the Philippine Sea. On the Pacific coast are flat

lowlands with the interior characterized by outlying low

hills. Mount Puyao in Barangay Liberty is the highest

peak in the area. The Catarman River, a major provincial

river, divides the eastern and the western parts of the

town. It is fed by the Paticua, Hibulwangan, Mahangna,

Tura, and Danao creeks together with lesser prominent

estuaries.
 28

Figure 2. Map of the Municipality of Catarman, Northern Samar

 29

Research Design

In this research, quantitative methodology

specifically descriptive method of research will be used

to determine the profile, and the child labor practices,

and their issues and challenges in Barangay Bangkerohan,

Catarman, Northern Samar.

The Respondents

The respondents of the study will be the child

workers and child laborers themselves who are living in

Barangay Bangekerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar. They are

chosen as the respondents because they could supply

information about their profile and the child labor

practices.

The Research Instrument

This study will make use of a researchers-made

survey questionnaire. The research instrument will

consist of two parts. Part I will investigate into the

profile of the respondents such as age, sex, educational

attainment, position and trainings attended. Part II will

ask into the perception about child labor practices. Part

III contains the causes and reasons of engagement in

child labor. And the last part, Part IV is concerned with

the effects of child labor.

 30

Scoring and Interpretation of Data

The following variables will be measured

accordingly:

Age will be classified into:

10-15 years old

17-18 years old

Sex will be classified into:

Male 1

Female 2

Educational attainment will be classified into:

No education at all 1

Elementary level 2

Elementary graduate 3

High school level 4

High school graduate 5

Income from labor will be categorized into:

Php 1,000 or below per month 1

Php 2,000 -3,000 per month 2

Php 4,000 or more per month 3

Years of engagement as a child laborer will be

categorized into:

Less than 1 year 1

2-5 years 2

6 years or more 3

Type of work employed will be classified into:

 31

Laborers and unskilled worker 1

Farmer, forestry and fisher 2

Practices of the child laborers will be categorized

into:

Highly practiced 4

Moderately practiced 3

Moderately not practiced 2

Not practiced at all 1

The causes and effects of child labor will be ranked

according to the number of responses of the respondents.

Validation of the Instrument

For purposes of testing the validity and reliability

of the research instrument, it will be checked and

reviewed for correctness and accurateness by the research

adviser.

Population and Sampling Technique

This study will purposively choose thirty ten (30)

child workers and laborers in Barangay Bangkerohan,

Catarman, Northern Samar. Therefore, child workers and

laborers identified in the barangay will become the

respondents of the study.

Data Gathering Procedures

 32

In the process of research work, this study will

utilize various forms of data gathering procedures.

In identifying the target respondents, this study

will serve a list of children who are working from the

Office of the Punong Barangay in Brgy. Bangkerohan,

Catarman, Northern Samar.

In collecting the primary source of data which is

the researchers-made survey questionnaire, the

researchers will personally administer to ensure that all

its questions will be answered. Likewise, retrieval of

the research instrument will take place the day after all

the survey questionnaires will be answered by the

respondents. However, prior to the actual administration

of the research instrument, a letter of intent is

attached to the survey questionnaire seeking approval of

the conduct of the research to avoid misconception and

misinterpretation among its respondents.

However, the researcher will strictly follow the

necessary health protocols during the collection to avoid

from acquiring COVID-19 infection.

Statistical Treatment of Data

This study will make use of different types of

statistical tools to analyze and interpret the data

gathered such as the following:

 33

Descriptive analysis for respondents’ data,

frequency, and mean will be used to measure its

variability and to test the relationship between the two

characteristics and the child labor practices.

For percentage, the formula is:

f
P=
N ×100

Where:

P = percentage

f = frequency

N = number of respondents

100 = constant

For the mean, the formula is:

∑x
x=
N

Where:

x = mean

∑ = summation

N = number of respondents
 34

LITERATURE CITED

A Study of Child Labor in the Philippines (n.d.), retrieved

from [Link]
[Link].

Aldaba, Fernando T.; Lanzona; Leonardo A.; and Tamangan,

Ronald J. (2004), An Empirical Analysis on the Trade-off
between Schooling and Child Labor in the Philippines,
Philippine Journal of Development Number 58, Second
Semester 2004, Volume XXXI, No. 2.

Alonzo, R. and R. Edillon. 2002. Eliminating Child Labor in

the Philippines. Paper submitted to the International
Labour Organization as part of an ILO/ International
Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) study,
retrieved from
[Link]
bangkok/---ilo-manila/documents/publication/
wcms_437075.pdf.

Amar, J., Palacio, J., Llinás, H., Puerta, L., Sierra, E.,
Pérez, A. M., & Velásquez, B. (2008). Calidad de Vida y
Salud Mental en Menores Trabajadores de Toluviejo [Quality
of life and mental health in child workers from
Toluviejo]. Suma Psicológica, 15(2).

Año, D. 2002. A Cursory Assessment Study on the Situation of

Child Labor in the Pyrotechnics Industry. A manuscript
submitted to the International Labour Organization as part
of an ILO/International Programme on the Elimination of
Child Labour (IPEC) study.

Buonomo, M. (2011). The Impact of Child Labor on Schooling

Outcomes in Nicaragua. Economics of Education Review,
30(6).

Brillantes, R. 1996. Developing Strategic Services for Child

Domestic Workers: Using Survey Data on their Working and
Living Conditions in Metro Manila, Manila: Bureau of Women
and Young Workers (BWYW), Department of Labor and
Employment.

Brown, D.K.; Stern,R.M. & A.V. Deardorff (2014) Child Labor:

Theory, Evidence and Policy, retrieved from
[Link]
bor_Theory_Evidence_and_Policy.

Edralin, D. 2002. Indepth Study on the Situation of Child

Labor in the Pyrotechnics Industry. Paper submitted to the
International Labour Organization as part of an
 35

ILO/International Programme on the Elimination of Child

Labour (IPEC) study.

Fernandez, Russell & Abocejo, Ferdinand. (2014). Child Labor,

Poverty and School Attendance: Evidences from the
Philippines by Region. CNU Journal of Higher Education.
Volume 8.

Holgadoa, Daniel; Maya-Jariegoa, Isidro; Ramosa, Ignacio;

Palacio, Jorge; Trespalacios, Óscar Oviedo; Romero-
Mendoza, Vanessa; and, Amar, José (n.d.) Impact of Child
Labor on Academic Performance: Evidence from the Program
“Edúcame Primero Colombia, retrieved from
[Link]

Jacobus de Hoop, Jed Friedman, Eeshani Kandpal & Furio Rosati

(2017) Child Schooling and Child Work in the Presence of a
Partial Education Subsidy, DISCUSSION PAPER SERIES, IZA DP
No. 10992, IZA Institute of Labor Economics, retrieved
from [Link]

Jensen, P., & Nielsen, H. S. (1997). Child Labour or School

Attendance? Evidence from Zambia. Journal of Population
Economics, 10(4).

Kim, J., & Zepeda, L. (2004). Factors Affecting Children's

Participation and Amount of Labor on Family Farms. Journal
of Safety Research, 35(4).

Lee, B. C., Jenkins, L. S., & Westaby, J. D. (1997). Factors

Influencing Exposure of Children to Major Hazards on
Family Farms. The Journal of Rural Health, 13(3).

Liening, A. "Growth Theory and Endogenous Human Capital

Development: A Contribution to the Theory of Complex
Systems," Theoretical Economics Letters, Vol. 3 No. 2,
2013, pp. 96-104. doi: 10.4236/tel.2013.32016.

Mukherjee, D. & Das, S. (2008). Role of Parental Education in

Schooling and Child Labour Decision: Urban India in the
Last Decade. Social Indicators Research, 89.

Nelson, G. L. M., & Quiton, J. D. (2017). Child Labor and Its

Effects on Schooling, Health and Recreation of Filipino
Children. Journal of Population and Social Studies [JPSS],
26(1), 68-82. Retrieved from
[Link]
7375.

Pedraza, A. C., & Ribero, R. (2006). El trabajo infantil y

juvenil en Colombia y algunas de sus consecuencias claves.
Revista Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, Niñez y
Juventud., 4(1).

Philippine Statistics Authority, Final Results of the 2011

Survey on Children, Table 3,
 36

[Link]
children-5-17-years-old-who-worked-during-past-weekwas-33-
million.

Ravallion, M., & Wodon, Q. (2000). Does Child Labour Displace

Schooling? Evidence on Behavioural Responses to an
Enrollment Subsidy. The Economic Journal, 110(462), 158-
175.

Republic of the Philippines, RA No. 7568, An Act Prohibiting

the Employment of Children Below 15 Years of Age in Public
and Private Undertakings.

Rogers, Carol Ann & Swinnerton, Kenneth A. (2002) A Theory of

Exploitative Child Labor, retrieved from
[Link]

Rosati, F. C., & Rossi, M. (2003). Children's Working Hours

and School Enrollment: Evidence from Pakistan and
Nicaragua. The World Bank Economic Review, 17(2).

Understanding Children's Work. Forthcoming. "Understanding

Children's Work and Youth Employment Outcomes in the
Philippines."

U.S. Department of Labor. 2016. “Philippines: 2015 Findings on

the Worst Forms of Labor: Significant Advancement.”

Webbink, E., Smits, Jeroen, de Jong, E. (2011). Household and

Context Determinants of Child Labour in 221 Districs of 18
Developing Countries. Social Indicators Research, Online
First.

[Link]
ra_7610_1992.html.
 37

Appendix A
Letter to the Dean

Republic of the Philippines

University of eastern Philippines
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
University Town, Northern Samar

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY

Date:

MARIA ALFE G. BANAWIS, DALL

Dean, College of Art and Communication
University of Eastern Philippines
University Town, Northern Samar

Madam:

The undersigned are Bachelor of Science in

Criminology senior students of the University of Eastern
Philippines, and are presently conducting a thesis
entitled: “CHILD LABOR PRACTICES IN BARANGAY BANGKEROHAN,
CATARMAN NORTHERN SAMAR.”

In connection with this, please allow us to conduct

a data gathering to the respondents.

Thank you so much.

Respectfully yours,
CATHY M. CULA
ERIKA C. HERNANDEZ
Researchers

Noted:
 38

JOY E. PRESADO, DPA, RCrim, LPT

Research Professor

JOY F. LORETO, MCJ

Research Adviser

Recommending Approval:

JOSE E. GABON, JR., DCJE

Chair, Criminology Department

Approved:

MARIA ALFE G. BANAWIS, DALL

Dean, College of Arts and Communication
 39

Appendix B
Letter to the Department Chair

Republic of the Philippines

University of eastern Philippines
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
University Town, Northern Samar

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY

Date:

JOSE E. GABON JR., DCJE

Officer In-charge
Criminology Department
College of Arts and Communication

Sir:

The undersigned are Bachelor of Science in

Criminology senior students of the University of Eastern
Philippines, and are presently conducting a thesis
entitled: “CHILD LABOR PRACTICES IN BARANGAY BANGKEROHAN,
CATARMAN NORTHERN”

We have constructed survey questionnaires to gather

data for this study.

In connection with this, we would like to ask

permission to conduct survey to gather the data needed in
this study. We are hoping that this request will be
granted and approved.

Thank you very much for your response.

Respectfully yours,
CATHY M. CULA
ERIKA C. HERNANDEZ
 40

Researchers

Recommending Approval:
JOY E. PRESADO, DPA, RCrim, LPT
Research Professor

JOY F. LORETO, MCJ

Research Adviser

Approved:

JOSE E. GABON. JR., DCJE

Chair, Criminology Department
 41

Appendix C
Letter to the Respondents

Republic of the Philippines

University of eastern Philippines
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND COMMUNICATION
University Town, Northern Samar

DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINOLOGY

Date:

Dear Respondents:

The undersigned are Bachelor of Science in

Criminology senior students of the University of Eastern
Philippines, and are presently conducting a thesis
entitled: “CHILD LABOR PRACTICES IN BARANGAY BANGKEROHAN,
CATARMAN NORTHERN SAMAR.”

In line with this, please give us a little of your

time to conduct a data gathering regarding our study.

The researchers further assure you that all the data

gathered will be kept confidential and will only be used
for this study.

Thank you.

Respectfully yours,
CATHY M. CULA
ERIKA C. HERNANDEZ
Researchers

Noted:

JOY E. PRESADO, DPA, RCrim, LPT

 42

Research Professor

JOY F. LORETO, MCJ

Research Adviser

Recommending Approval:

JOSE E. GABON, JR., DCJE

Chair, Criminology Department

Approved:

MARIA ALFE G. BANAWIS, DALL

Dean, College of Arts and Communication
 43

Appendix D

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
Name (Optional):
Part I. Socio-demographic characteristics

1. Age

2. Sex [ ] male [ ] female

3. Education
[ ] No education at all
[ ] Elementary level
[ ] Elementary graduate
[ ] High school level
[ ] High school graduate
[ ] Attends school regularly
[ ] Do not attend school regularly

4. Income from labor

[ ] Php 2,000.00 or below per month
[ ] Php 2,100-5,000.00 per month
[ ] Php 5,100 or more per month

5. Type of work employed

[ ] housekeeper [ ] fishing
[ ] quarry worker [ ] vending
[ ] construction worker [ ] PD Cab driver
[ ] farming
[ ] others, pls. specify

6. Years of work
[ ] less than 1 year
[ ] 1-3 years
[ ] 4 years or more
 44

Part II. Child Labor Practices

Directions: Please check on the space provided your perception
about child labor practices based on the following scale:
Strongly agree Disagree
Moderately agree Strongly disagree
Agree
Practices Strongly Moderately Agree Disagree Strongly
agree agree disagree

1. I worked to support for

my family's needs
2. I worked because no one
in the family is able
to provide for the
family
3. I worked all day and
night
4. I was forced to work
because my parents
cannot support my
studies
5. I worked as a laborer
because our place had
no existing school
6. I worked because I want
to buy my personal
needs
7. I worked because there
are job opportunities
available in our place
8. I worked because my
parents want me to
become responsible when
I grow up
9. I worked because I was
influenced by my
friends who are also
into child labor
10. I do hard labor
in a day
11. I work because no
one supports me
12. Child labor is a
way of life in our
place
13. Working allows me
to be physically fit
 45

14. Working allows me

to be mentally fit
15. As a child
worker, I can
contribute to the
economy of our locality

Part III. Causes of Child Labor

Directions Please check the causes and reasons why you engaged
in child labor?
( ) Family beliefs and practices
( ) Sickness of parents or other members of the family
( ) Lack of support and encouragement from family
( ) Violence inside the home
( ) Lack of jobs, employment or insufficient salary of the
parents
( ) No regular income
( ) Lack of assets and properties such as land, animals, that
maybe a source of income during emergency situations
( ) Lack or insufficient social services
( ) Violence and other conflicts in the community
( ) Influence of vices in the community (smoking, drugs,
gambling)
( ) Lack of social protection
( ) Limited access to education
( ) Weak enforcement of local laws
( ) Others pls. specify

Part IV. Effects of Child Labor

( ) Hard to continue with schooling because of exhausted from
work and cannot concentrate on the lesson
( ) Find it hard to focus on tasks assigned
( ) Afraid to mingle and make friends
( ) Losses their respect to parents
( ) Thin, sickly and stunted height and overall growth
( ) Skin disease due to exposure to chemicals
( ) Lung problems due to exposure to fumes in the workplace
( ) Hunchbacked due to lifting of heavy objects at work
 46

( ) Low self esteem

( ) Arrogant because of the money earned from working
( ) Irritable because of fatigue from work
( ) They can only get low paying and unskilled jobs
( ) Minimal opportunity to remove oneself from poverty due to
lack of skills, sickness, sickliness, and low level of
education
( ) Others pls. specify

Thank you!
 47

Appendix D

SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE
Ngaran (Opsyunal):
Una na Parti. Pangkalugaringon

Edad

1. Kinatawhan [ ] lalaki [ ] babaye

2. Edukasyon
[ ] waray iniskwelahan
[ ] abot la elementary an iniskwelahan
[ ] nakatangpos sa elementary
[ ] abot la hayskul an iniskwelahan
[ ] nakatangpos sa hayskul
[ ] nasulod pa permi sa eskwelahan
[ ] danay nala nasulod sa eskwelahan

3. Sweldo san pagtrabaho

[ ] Php 2,000.00 o paubos pa kada bulan
[ ] Php 2,100-5,000.00 kada bulan
[ ] Php 5,100 o mas dako pa kada bulan

4. Klase san ginsudlan na trabaho

[ ] kabulig sa sulod sa panimalay [ ] panagat
[ ] manbabaras [ ] paragbaligya
[ ] konstruksyon worker o pagtukod [ ] PD Cab
drayber
[ ] pag-uma
[ ] an iba, alayon pakibutang

5. Tuig san pagtrabaho

[ ] ubos pa sa sayu katuig
[ ] 1-3 katuig
[ ] 4 katuig o lahos pa
 48

Ikaduwa nga Parti. Child labor practices

Direksyun: Alayun paki tsek san espasyo basis a iyo pagkasabot
sine nga tag batan-on nga trabahador:
Pag-uyon kusog Dire pag-uyon
Tama la nga pag-uyon Dire gud pag-uyon
Pag-uyon
Practices Pag-uyon Tama la Pag- Dire Dire gud
kusog nga pag- uyon pag-uyon pag-uyon
uyon

1. Nagtrabaho ak para
suportahan an
pangihalangnon saak
pamilya.
2. Nagtrabaho ak tungod sa
rason nga wara bisan
sayo an makahatag saak
kinahanglanon sa akon
ak pamilya
3. Nagtratrabaho ak bug-os
na adlaw ngan gabe
4. Napiritan ak magtrabaho
tungod sa dire kaya
saak pamilya suportahan
ak pag eskwela
5. Nagtratrabago ak bilang
sayo na trabahador
tungod sa wara saam
eskwelan
6. Nagtratrabaho ak para
makapalit saak
kalugaringon na
pangihanglanon
7. Nagtratrabaho ak kay
tungod nga may puydi
masudlan na trabaho
8. Nagtratrabaho ak kay
tungod sa karuyag saak
kag anak nga maging
responsibilidad ak
pagdako
9. Nagtratrabaho ak kay
tungod nga
naimpluwensyahan ak
saak kasangkayan nga
batan-on pa nga
nananrabaho na
 49

10. Mabug-at na trabahuon

ak inhihimo sa sayo
kaadlaw
11. Nagtratrabaho ak kay
tungod sa wara saak
nasuporta
12. An pagigin batan-on nga
trabahador an pamaagi
san pangabuhi saam lugar
13. An pagtratrabaho an
nakakahatag saak libsog
nga pangalawason
14. An pagtratrabaho an
naghahatag saak maupay
nga pangisipan
15. Bilang sayo nga batan-
on nga trabahador,
makakaamot naak gihapon
sa ekonomiya san aton
lokalidad.

Ikatulo na Parti. Causes of child labor

Direksyun: Alayon paki tsek san rason kay nano na nahibutang
kamo sa pagigin batan-on nga trabahador.

( ) Tinuohan ngan buruhaton san pamilya

( ) Pagkasakit sa kag-anak o sa iba nga membro sa pamilya
( ) Kulang sa suporta ngan pagpakaupay san pamilya
( ) Kapintasan sa sulod sa panimalay
( ) Kawara san trabaho o dire sakto ngan kulang na sweldo san
kag-anak
( ) Wara permanente na kita
( ) Kakulangan san mga kabtanan sugad san tuna, kahayopan nga
puydi pagkuwaan san panahon sa pagkuri ngan
pangahilangnon
( ) Kakulangan san serbisyo sa pangkatawhan
( ) Kapintasan ngan iba pa nga saramok sa komunidad
( ) Impluwensya san pagbisyo sugad san pagpansigarilyo, droga
ngan paghuygo
( ) Kakulangan proteksyon sa pangkatawhan
( ) Limitado nga akses sa edukasyon
( ) Maluya ngan pagpatuman san local nga mga balaod
 50

( ) An iba, alayun pakibutang ________________

Ikaupat na Parti. Effects of child labor

( ) Kakurian san pagpadayon san pag-aram tungod san katanglay
sa trabaho ngan dire makaatinder sa mga leksyon
( ) Nakukurian maka pokus sa mga ginhatag na hirimuon
( ) Hadok makihalobilo ngan makisangkay
( ) Pagkawara respito o pagtahod sa kag-anak
( ) MAhugos, sarakitnon ngan pagtuok sa kahataas tas pagtubo
( ) Sakit sa panit tungod sa pagka-ekspos sa kemikalSS
( ) Problema sa baga tungod sa pagka-ekspos alisngaw sa
gintratrabahuan
( ) Pagkakubaog tungod sa pag-alsa magbug-at
( ) Hamubo nga pag-imod sa pangkalugaringon
( ) Pagkahambog tungod sa may kwarta pagtrinabaho
( ) Pagkauyam tungod sa kapagal sa trabaho
( ) Pagkakuha dito nga kantidad san sweldo ngan dire
pagkahasa sa trabaho
( ) Ditoy na higayon nga makatalwas sa kakurian tungod sa
tungod sa kakulang sa kahasa, sakiton ngan dito nga
inadman
( ) An iba, alayon pakibutang

Salamat!