This February, I went to Philippines. It started when I saw a
Philippines work camp poster at Chuo University, and was
interested in this work camp. At once, I called a NGO office, and
I decided to join the work camp. At first, I was worried about
going to Philippines, because I did not know if Philippines was a
safe place or not, how Philippines food was, how the weather was,
and so on. However, I needed not have been worried. After I went,
I found that the Philippines is a good country, the foods agreed
with me, and that Filipinos are very kind. I stayed at an
orphanage for three weeks. There, I worked for six hours a day,
and after the work. I played with children. Our work was painting
a church. It was very hard for me, so I was tired everyday.
However, children's smile took away my tiredness. Every child
seemed innocent and very cute. Sometimes they played tag, and
sometimes they played basketball or volleyball outside. They were
very cheerful. They were different from Japanese children.
Through this work camp, I had a very good experience. I hoped
that I would visit Philippines to see the children again.
This September, I went to Philippines again. This time, I
joined the same work camp as a staff member. Hajime Yokota, a
leader of NGO wants many people to join the Philippines work
camp, so he thinks that repeater should join the camp as a staff.
I had a hard job as a staff member. I had a different experience
before. I needed to think about both Japanese campers and
orphanage staff. I had to know many things about both the
orphanage and NGO. I had a difficult job as a staff member, but I
had a very good experience. Anyway, children's smile did not
change. I was very happy that they remembered me and called my
name. After this camp, I also wanted to go to Philippines to meet
children. Someday, I will go back to Philippines.
The orphanage which I stayed at has many children from the age
of 2 to 19. Some of these children were street children. In
Philippines, there are many street children, and many children
are working. According to Altaf Dionela, "calculation places
the number of working children between the ages of 5 and 14 years
at 5 million, 19 percent of the total labor force" (qtd. in
Rialp). The number of working children and street children is
increasing now. The cause of this increase in abandoned children
is the general increasing population of Philippine's cities.
Although urban development remains high while rural development
remains low, the gap between the rich and the poor continues to
expand. The greater this gap becomes, the more those children are
either abandoned or forced to work. Therefore, street children
appear. Now, we have to think how the development should be. A
foreign aid by developed countries related to the street children
and children problem in Philippines. It is not too much to say
that there is a relationship between street children as a result
of development and Japanese who play an important part in
development.
Besides street children, there is child prostitution in
Philippines.. Thousands of young girls and boys remain trapped in
the country's flourishing sex trade. Many child sex workers
aged from 11 to 15 years old. Young prostitutes often have
problems that they have mental damage. Likewise, the longer a
child stays in sex trade, the more difficult it will be for that
child the trauma that the sex trade causes (Juvida). Because many
children are working instead of going to school, they lose the
opportunity to get the education that would change their lives.
According to the Department of Education, "for the school
year 1984 to 1985 suggest that during this period roughly 2.7
million children and adolescents aged 7 to 16 years were not
attending school and were therefore most likely working"
(qtd. in Rialp). In addition to field research by conducting a
survey. The survey consisted of 10 questions that were directed
response question (multiple choice, true/no, yes/no). The group I
surveyed consisted of 13 college students from Chuo
University in Tokyo, Japan.
Survey question and
answer
1. Do you know about street children
in Philippines?
Yes: 7 No: 2 Not Sure: 2
Don't Care: 1
2. Do you know about child prostitution
in Philippines?
Yes: 5 No: 2 Not Sure: 5
Don't Care: 1
3. How much is the government responsible
for child labor in Philippines?
66%:3 50%:5 33%:l 25%:3
10%:1
4. How much is the social system
responsible for child labor in Philippines?
75%:2 50%:5 33%:2 10%:3
5. Looking at the problem globally.
How much is the gap between rich people and poor
people responsible for child labor?
75%:2 66%:4 50%:4 33%:2
6. Do you think that Japanese companies
contribute to the with child labor in Philippines?
Yes: 6 No: 3 Not Sure: 3
Don't Care: 1
7. Do you think that Japanese life-style
contribute to the problem with child labor in Phihppines?
Yes: 4 No: 1 Not Sure: 7
Don't Care: 1
8. Do you think that Japanese citizens
and consumers can help with the problem of child
labor in Philippines?
Yes: 4 No: 2 Not Sure: 7
9. Do you think that Japanese government
can help with the problem of child labor in Philippines?
Yes: 4 No: 2 Not Sure: 7
According to the survey, almost all the students answered that
they know about street children in Philippines. Street children
are easy to be taken up by news and media, so many people can
know about street children. However, half of students did I not
know about child prostitution. From this answer, it is thought
that many people do not know about child labor in detail. Some
students think Japanese companies and life- style contribute to
the problem with child labor. They think that Japan can help with
the problem of child labor in Philippines. If Japanese people can
do some action, children's circumstances would change a
little. Philippines has many problems about children, for
example, street children, child prostitution, and child labor.
Many children lose an opportunity to have education because of
work. Philippines government does some action to solve the
problem of child labor in Philippines. However, government action
alone is not enough. It is needed that government and NGO
collaborate. If government and NGO do some action together, they
can tackle problems at the community level. Moreover, Japanese
government, NGO, and students join the action, the circumstances
of child labor would change for the better.
- Juvida, Sol F.
- "Philippines' children: scrouge of child prostitution." Inter
Press Service 12 Oct. 1997. www.oneworld.org/childsex.html |
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- Garden, Edward A.
- "Traffic in children is brisk." New York
Times 11 Dec. 1997: A4.
- Shaikh, Altaf.
- "Children at work." Child Work 1998 www.cry.org/child/stories.htm |
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