Tiny Hands

Gotcha!

2007-03-20T09:58:00.000+08:00

The important role of media in combatting child labor was once again highligthed with the successful "rescue" on a banana packing plant here in Davao City.

An initial complaint sent to ABS-CBN led to the issuance of a court action for a search warrant. The television crew was accompanied by the Department of Labor, City Social Services Development Office and the City Legal Office in the "raid."

Here's the account from Sunstar Gotcha!

Less than 5% comply with laws

2006-09-14T05:58:00.000+08:00

After the previous post on International Labor Organization (ILO) citing the Philippines on child labor, here comes a real shocker.

Only 24 of 500 members of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) or less than 5 percent comply with laws on child labor.

To correct his problem, ECOP is launching a campaign "Child Labor-Free and Child-Friendly Recognition Program." The project is in partnership with guess who - ILO.

ILO cites RP efforts

2006-09-06T08:15:00.000+08:00

Is child labor really declining in our country? Well, if not true good.

Read this report on ILO citing the Philippines, along with Cambodia, Mongolia, Indonesia and Vietnam, as setting concrete deadlines in eliminating the worst forms of child labor.

It is not declining fast enough

2006-09-02T06:58:00.000+08:00

Child labor cases in Asia have gone down, but it is not declining fast enough.

This according to the UN's International Labor Organization report.

Suffocating life itself

2006-08-29T06:58:00.000+08:00

"To thwart a child's natural work, the visionaries of education have said, is to suffocate life itself.

In short, becoming a person is a full-time job. This is the real reason that forcing children to do adult work is so damaging: It not only exposes them to soul-killing tedium, but robs them of the time they need to become adults. They're deprived not only of the chance to go to school, but of the freedom to pursue their curiosity -- to engage in that crucial and illuminating project called play."

Read the complete editorial at StarTribune.com of Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

Africa adds to miserable ranks of child labor

2006-08-26T12:11:00.000+08:00

Sub-Saharan Africa remains a huge pit where children as young as 5 or 6 years old work.

It is the difference between eating and going hungry, said one grandmother who works with his grandson in a quarry to earn $3 a week.

While there is a trend worldwide in the decline in child labor, here the figures remain the same as far back a century ago.

Forum and training

2006-08-14T06:33:00.000+08:00

I dropped by briefly at the Forum on Child Labor at Kuya Ed's Restaurant last week. I was happy to note that many barangay officials were there. There were also participants from NGOs and child-focused social development agencies.

Congrats to the National Coalition Against Child Labor in Commercial Agriculture for the succesfull conduct of the forum.

The Coalition is holding another important activity this week. It's the training of advocates on child labor to be held at Eden Nature Park on August 16-19.

Child-labor free carpet making

2006-08-06T08:32:00.000+08:00

A Washington-based foundation is set to launch next month in such design centers as New York and San Francisco an education campaign for a child-labor-free carpet industry.

RugMark's search for The Most Beautiful Rug aims to create consumer demand and help eradicate child labor particularly in carpet and rug producing nations as India, Nepal and Pakistan.

The consumer awareness campaign will run for three years.

Buy only carpets and rugs that has the RugMark label. You are assured that it was made not by tiny hands.

Children should be in school

2006-08-05T09:35:00.000+08:00

Posted as comment at my new blog.

"I am lost in cyberspace, but lost not in vain after all. I found your blog site and i immediately positioned myself for further investigation. I can only hope that all these community projects you have been talking about will come into fruition.

Although I have been away for over a quarter of a century (I recently visited the beautiful city of Davao last July 2006, I must admit I am at awe as far as progress and improvement this city achieved. I must say, kudos to all of you.

As a Dabawenyo at heart, there is something I wish to speak out. Inspite of the progress and improvement I have witnessed thereof, there are still a lot of improvements to make concerning the welfare of our young children. I am shocked to see young children sleeping on the streets.
They are everywhere.

Is there something we could do to take care of these children. Why are they on the street living miserably neglected? Is there something our local governance can do to help and alleviate this poverty? These children should be at a school environment to learn and acquire education.

Thank you,"

Cornell

Tougher law in India

2006-08-05T08:43:00.000+08:00

They will put to jail violators of a new child labor law in India beginning on October 10.

The new child labor law extends an existing ban against employing children in hazardous industries. It will bar employing children as domestic servants, at roadside food stalls and in hospitals.

Child poverty

2006-07-29T13:57:00.000+08:00

Read this view from a Napalese journalist on child poverty, domestic abuse, etc.

Forum on August 8

2006-07-20T06:17:00.000+08:00

Fraternal Greetings!

We are wholeheartedly inviting you to a Forum and Orientation on Child Labor in Commercial Agriculture this coming 8th of August at 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Tower Inn, E. Quirino Ave., Davao City.

This event aims to establish a collaborative effort among the different organizations from the government, non-government, church, socio-civic, student, youth, workers, women and children sectors to carry forward the coalition's advocacy and campaign meant to expose the worst forms of child labor in commercial agriculture and strive for the immediate eradication of the same.

Please do share with us a little of your time on this day and let your voice of inspiration and love penetrate the hearts of the children, people and government in our country.

Very truly yours,

Prof. Alehandro W. Apit
Executive Director
Kamalayan Development Foundation

Cameroon

2006-07-12T10:08:00.000+08:00

What is the cause of child labor. Here is an answer from a report on Cameroon.

Bacolod sex scandals

2006-07-07T08:02:00.000+08:00

Iloilo City Boy blogs on the sex scandals in Bacolod. It involved young teeners.

He believes that a lot of sex videos circulating in the Philippines today comes from Bacolod.

Paging our crusading Councilor of Bacolod, Jocelle Sigue.

Child labor - waning or growing?

2006-07-02T12:20:00.000+08:00

I was in Iloilo City last week and I stayed at Amigo Terrace Hotel in the central business district. There are shops and business offices adjoining the hotel. One office I discovered at the mezzanine floor was that of World Vision which is dedicated to child labor.

Last June 30, I read in one local paper that World Vision held a forum on child labor. Had I known it earlier, I would have attended the event.

There are confusing reports about the state of child labor. Here is one saying its waning; the other one growing.

In the streets of Manila

2006-06-23T18:26:00.000+08:00

Here is a moving account of Henry II Anima who is taoporinako on child labor.

Lip service on protecting children in conflict areas

2006-06-19T04:29:00.000+08:00

Here is an interesting opinion on Children as Zones of Peace by my friend Radzini Oleda:

Otherwise, the declaration of Children as Zones of Peace will remain as lip service much like the previous commitments to prioritize health and education. The social consequences are too glaring to ignore.

News from around the world

2006-06-18T09:20:00.000+08:00

Reports from around the world:

Bangladesh

Chile

Nepal

Yemen

Labor group hits govt over child labor

2006-06-15T06:00:00.000+08:00

KMU dismayed over Arroyo’s failure to curb child labor
06/15/2006

The militant labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) yesterday expressed dismay over the Arroyo government’s failure to curb child labor as 10 persons — six of them minors — were reported injured when a firecracker factory in Binangonan, Rizal was hit by fire.

The full story at The Daily Tribune

World Day Against Child Labor

2006-06-12T16:01:00.000+08:00

Cross post from Peter Lavina

I just came from a march to mark the World Day Against Child labor in Davao City. More than 600 children, parents and anti child labor advocates joined the march around the city's main streets.

A culminating program was held infront of City Hall if only to emphasize the need for serious government action on this global problem that also reared its ugly head here.

Thanks to our media colleagues for the coverage - GMA7, Mindanao Times, ABS-CBN and Sunstar. We need the mass media to raise the level of awareness of our people on this regard.

Here I helped arranged for a television crew interview Eliza Apit of the National Coalition Against Child Labor in Commercial Agriculture.

Children are supposed to be in school not in any quarry or construction or karaoke bar or plantations.

Related posts - Forgotten children

Burma child workers exposed to pesticides

2006-06-12T06:14:00.000+08:00

A recent study by the Chiang Mai University of Thailand revealed that child workers in Burma are exposed to dangerous fertilizers and pesticides.

Here is the complete story.

Forgotten children

2006-06-08T11:05:00.000+08:00

Manila Bulletin did a singular feat last June 4. Indeed, where have all the child advocates gone that day?

More teeth in the US

2006-06-08T10:53:00.000+08:00

The US Lower House has passed Tuesday a bill giving wider powers to enforce child labor laws.

In the meantime, in Arizona, nine businesses were fined for child labor violations.

ABK Initiative holds Visayas Congress

2006-05-29T06:37:00.000+08:00

Child laborers and anti-child labor advocates recently held its first Congress in the Visayas Region. It is the country's second hotspot with the most number of child laborers.

A set of 14 recommendations came out of the 3-day meeting including calls for government for more programs and services to children, access to education, work for their parents and stricter enforcement of laws on child labor and children's rights.

Here is the complete story from Inq7.net on the congress organized by the ABK Initiative.

Six minors freed from sex den

2006-05-28T05:52:00.000+08:00

Six minors from Negros Occidental were rescued from a nightclub in Antique in the continuing fight against child labor and sexual exploitation.

Bacolod city council member Jocelle Batapa Sigue, whom I met at the 1st National Media Summit on Child Labor in Manila last April, was part of the team which undertook the rescue operations.

Here is the complete story.