ILO to hold annual survey on child labor

THE INTERNATIONAL Labor Organization (ILO) is backing a plan to hold an annual survey on the state of child labor in the country in line with efforts to curb the practice of employing minors by 2016.

Giovanni I. Soledad, project manager of ILO-International Program on the Elimination of Child Labor, noted that the latest census on child labor was conducted in 2001.

“The [number of children engaged in child labor in the country] is 4.18 million. However, that’s based on the 2001 survey on children. It’s one of the weaknesses. That’s why ILO is going to sponsor the conduct of an update of survey next year because NSO (National Statistics Office) is still busy with the census [of population and housing],” Mr. Soledad said in an interview during the celebration of the World Day Against Child Labor at the Don Bosco Youth Center in Tondo, Manila.

The NSO administered in 1994-1995 the first survey on children, which included data on child labor.

The survey, covering children five to 17 years old, was followed up in 2000-2001.

Although recent data on child labor is available in the quarterly Labor Force Survey, Mr. Soledad said the information is not as complete.

“Only by [the survey on child labor] we will know what the real figures are. Are we moving towards the goal?” he said.

ILO has set a 2016 goal to eliminate worst forms of child labor such as forced labor, using children in armed conflict, prostitution, pornography, illicit activities for drug trafficking, and labor which exposes them to psychological, health and moral hazards.

Slow pace

Meanwhile, Mr. Soledad said ILO’s Global Report on child labor this year showed a slow pace in reducing child labor.

Global child labor for 2004-2008 declined by only 3% compared with 10% in 2000-2004. Number of child laborers worldwide was at 215 million from seven million.

“It could be the economic crisis or the slowing down of efforts… We were doing things but maybe our efforts were not just good enough,” Mr. Soledad said.

In a statement, the Department of Labor and Employment said the government’s anti-child labor programs include Sagip Batang Manggagawa which seeks to remove children found engaging in hazardous occupations particularly the worst forms.

Other efforts against child labor intend to provide livelihood assistance to parents of child laborers and educational assistance to victims. — Ana Mae G. Roa, Businessworld