FORUM: Youth Development Programs

Last Saturday (August 14 2010), we attended a forum which was arranged by the SEM-CDA students that mainly talks about the Youth Development Programs which includes the World Vision, Child Hope Asia and Department of Education in MIMAROPA. The forum speaks about how child labour is one of the many concerns in the Philippines and, most disturbingly, one of the most rampant problems we face. We should help them in every way that we can because every child has the right to the most basic of necessities in life like a healthy environment, formal education, and most importantly, a loving family to come home to. One way to stop child labour is by giving them hope such as assistance in terms of financial needs and proper education.

Children living in the poorest family and in rural areas are most likely to be engaged in child labour. In our country, Child Labour is one of the social problems that still exist today. Based on the article that I’ve read from a study of Child Labour in the Philippines, International Labour Organization estimates that the government place the number of child labourers in the country at eight hundred thousand (800,000), but actual figures may be as high as five million (5,000,000). We really cannot deny the truth that every year, the number of child labourers rises.

In order for this to stop, we should ensure that each child in the country would be given a chance to go to school and that their education is of good quality which is the key to prevent child labour.