3-M Pinoy kids engage in dangerous labor - NSO

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – Almost three million Filipino children are engaged in dangerous labor, the National Statistics Office (NSO) bared in its recent survey on children.

Two-thirds of those children into hazardous labor were boys.

Central Luzon (10.6 percent) and Bicol (10.2 percent) registered the highest percentage, while CAR (2.3 percent) had the least percentage.

The NSO report also showed that 5.49 million Filipino children aged 5 to 17 years have already experienced work.

Of every 10 children NSO found two in Cordillera, three in Northern Mindanao, and one each in the National Capital Region (NCR) and in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) working under various conditions.

NSO-CAR director Olivia Gulla said the 2011 survey on children is a nationwide survey designed to collect data on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of working children 5 to 17 years old, which will be used by government planners and policy-makers in crafting needed programs and policies to address child labor concerns.

A series of surveys were undertaken by the NSO as part of the International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor.

“This third survey, which was conducted last October 2011, aims to provide comprehensive and updated analysis of the state of the nation’s working children, five to 17 years old, identifying major parameters such as priority groups, patterns and extent of child work and the condition of their work.