Jinggoy alarmed over rising number of child laborers

Manila, Philippines -  Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada has expressed alarm that children between five and 17 are already working.

The Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development chairman is concerned over the National Statistics Office (NSO) 2011 survey showing working Filipino children aged 5 to 17 now number 5.59 million.

The figure represents 18.9 percent of the 29.019 million Filipino children under the same age bracket.

Also from this number, 2.993 million were reported to be exposed to hazardous labor.

Estrada has called on the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday to maintain close coordination and step up the campaign against child labor.

“The police authorities and labor officials must immediately shut down companies and factories and arrest businessmen engaging in child labor and not complying with the existing labor regulations,” he said.

Estrada said child labor is a “modern day slavery practice.”

The law prohibits employment of children below 15 years old, except under some cases, he added.

Republic Act 9231, An Act Providing for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labor also states that children 15 to 17 years old shall not be allowed to work for more than eight hours per day and in no case beyond 40 hours per week.

DOLE Department Order 04-1999 prohibits employment of workers below 18 years old under particularly difficult conditions such as work for long hours or during the night.