Labor group blames increase in child labor on lack of classrooms

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

“Kakulangan sa classrooms dahil sa mababang badyet sa edukasyon at kawalan ng disenteng trabaho at pasahod sa mga magulang ang nagiging dahilan kung bakit kinailangang mapasubo sa maagang pagtrabaho ang mga kabataan,” insisted Joel Maglunsod, KMU Secretary General.

The group said that child labor will continue to rise because the government is not serious in funding social services such as education. To prove, debt servicing gets the biggest outlay which amounts to P301.7 billion of the current national budget while education gets a measly P102 billion appropriation. Classroom shortage in a single-shift situation is currently at 74,000.

Maglunsod cited the partial results of survey of a government-funded community-based monitoring system which found out that there are 6,000 child laborers in Bulacan, some 10 percent of them engaged in hazardous pyrotechnics making in Bocaue and Sta. Maria towns.

“Kapit sa patalim ang mga kabataang ito,” observed the labor leader saying that the children are risking health and safety. He further argued that child laborers are paid with much lower wages, “At pagtanda nila dahil hindi nakapag-aral, tiyak na mabibilang sila sa mga walang trabaho. Kahit nga security guard ngayon kailangan nakatapos ng second year college.”