ILO: Lapu-Lapu biggest employer of kids in Cebu

CEBU — Lapu-Lapu City may have earned the distinction as the country’s second largest pyrotechnics manufacturer after Bulacan, but a recent survey cited it as the biggest employer of child laborers in Cebu.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) and the University of San Carlos conducted the survey from December 2003 to the third week of January 2004, covering the cities of Lapu-Lapu, Cebu and Mandaue, and the towns of Bogo, Medellin, Samboan, Santander, Ginatilan, and Oslob.

The groups used household listing (census) for working children in priority sectors such as sugarcane plantations, domestic work, deep-sea fishing (muro ami), and pyrotechnics production as well as commercially and sexually exploited children.

ILO field coordinator Jesus Macasil Jr. said Lapu-Lapu City had the most number of child laborers with 466, 448 of them working in pyrotechnics plants in Barangay Babag.

The rest were spread among the other sectors — 10 were commercial sex workers, seven were domestic helpers, and one was into deep-sea fishing.

Macasil said pyrotechnics makers prefer child laborers because they are cheaper.

But he said, "Childhood should be dedicated to education and development and not hard labor and exposure to hazardous jobs."

The Department of Labor, along with non-government groups such as the Pag-aaral ng Bata Para sa Kinabukasan, has stepped up its information campaign against child labor by educating the pyrotechnics makers in Lapu-Lapu City.

The survey also showed there were more children working in sugarcane plantations in Medellin with 242, and Bogo with 81. They were also a growing number of children working as domestic helpers.

During the observance of the World Day Against Child Labor the other day, government and non-government groups, with the Visayan Forum Foundation Inc. in the lead, launched a one-million signature campaign supporting Batas Kasambahay, a pending bill in Congress protecting child and adult domestic workers. — Wenna Berondo/ Freeman News Service