Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Children are the promise of the future. They are the assets of the nation
because they are considered as the most important human resource in our
country. They are to be the future leaders and citizens of our nation. With this
belief, each society should be aware that children should be reared for their full
nourishment for them to act normally in their future calling.
The United States, Department of Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights,
and Labor (2006) estimated that there were at least 22 thousand street children
nationwide.

UNICEF estimated that there were approximately 250 thousand

street children. Welfare officials believed that the number increased as a result
of widespread unemployment in the rural areas. Many street children appeared
to be abandoned and engaged in scavenging or begging.
Looking at the world development, there is no stopping of emerging new
world of progress.

New technologies are developed to cope with the global

demands and needs of the society, yet many children suffer from insufficient
adult help in making sense out of their rich environment. It is in this sense that
many children can be said to starve in the midst of plenty and appear to be
underestimated.

No matter what the government is doing in the society if the

children are not catered properly, the government is failing.

In the same manner, the rapid increase of population is an indicator that

children born every minute are expected to fill in the society now and in the years
to come. The belief of people that better life is seen in the city makes the city
dense of population.

Baguio City is not exempted in this belief.

With the

attractiveness of the city, a lot of families decided to stay in the city for good with
the belief that Baguio City can offer a good life for them. With this belief, a lot of
children are taken cared off by other people (siblings, relatives and yayas). The
demand for both parents to engage in work for survival contributes to the issue
that children are not cared and reared properly by the working parents. It is in
this situation that we see parents do all ways for their children, yet we see
children on the streets asking for a little amount of money and food.
The study aims to identify the reasons why children stay in the
streets to beg for food and even money despite of the programs pushed by the
local government. Furthermore, the study aims to help find possible solutions by
the government through its different agencies, to protect the welfare of these
children at an early age, exposed to the difficulties and harm of being in the
streets.
The findings and result of this study will serve as bases of our agencies
concern, partners and human right advocates. This will likewise serve as guide
lawmakers in their planning and decision-making to improve services to our
children.

The result of this study will also provide parents some ideas on how they
can help in the development of their children. Knowing the dominant causes of
this behavioral factors, they can devise ways and means of minimizing such
causes. Teachers and parents may build a better relationship in molding the
young leaders of tomorrow.
Future researchers may also develop further studies and this may serve
as bases for comparison of results or findings.
On the part of the researcher, this study provided him a challenge and
exposure in the conduct of this study. This will also serve as his bases in dealing
related problems in the future.
All these considerations justify the conduct of this study.
Statement of the Problem
The researcher will attempt to find out the behavioral factors of street
children in Baguio City. Particularly, this study will work on the following specific
problems:
1. What are the behavioral factors of street children as perceived by market
vendors and DSWD personnel in Baguio City?
2.

Which among the behavioral factors are dominant in street children as

perceived by the respondents?

3. What are the possible remedies in minimizing the dominant behavioral factors
as perceived by the respondents?

Conceptual Framework
Children are believed to be the prime asset of our future land and youth is
the hope of the fatherland (Dr. Jose P. Rizal) with this belief, every family has a
big accountability in providing the correct channels and in shaping the lives of the
children entrusted to them. Agencies concerned should have teeth in pushing
the laws supporting the welfare of the children
This study considered as guidepost of the major groups of variables,
which were classified as: a) Input, b) Process, c) output and d) expected output.
The input involved: the Behavioral Factors and possible remedies in
minimizing behavioral factors.
The process included: the Perceptions of market vendors and DSWD
Personnel on the behavioral factors and the Test of significant differences in
perceptions.

The output included: The dominant behavioral factor; Significance in the

differences of perceptions.
The expected outcomes were: Remedial measures to be in place to wean
children from street.
Hypotheses of the Study
This study will be guided with the following hypotheses:
1. There is a significant difference in the perception of the market vendors as to
the behavioral factors of street children in Baguio City.

2.

There is a significant difference in the extent of the dominant behavioral

factors that affect the street children as perceived by the respondents.

3. There is a significant difference between the perception of market vendors
and DSWD personnel as to the possible remedies in minimizing the dominant
behavioral factors.