Ralph Justin P.

Tayaban
CD 100
The documentary, Minsan Lang Silang Bata featured the lives of random children from
different parts of the Philippines. It has three segments exposing how children despite their right
to be children were forced to work and earn a living for their family.
I was shocked how the kids made their living during unholy hours of the night just for a
strip of fat from swines skin or carrying not less than 250 sacks of cement per day for 10 pesos
or strip wild grass under scorching heat of the sun for the whole day for 26 pesos. It makes me
wonder how they squeezed their budget for the whole family as all of them said that they are
working for the food of their family. I also come to ask myself how the adults can or the
businessmen tolerate this kind of practice. Are they doing this to help the kids? Or are they
taking advantage of the cheap labour? Nevertheless, I found this unjust.
Child labour raises national concern but to provide resolution to it is not easy because of
the complexity of the problem. As the documentary pointed out very well, the children, although
scrawny, frail, and helpless are being persuaded by their parents in order to help the family rise
above the struggle of poverty.
What is sad about child labour is that the children feel like it is their responsibility to help
their parents out, not even realizing that they are being exploited. And on the parents side, they
become reluctant source of instruction not wanting to back their children up into child labour
but are forced to do as means of coping up with financial brokenness. So it becomes a myriad
and intricate web of problems. But, is there anyone where we can put the blame? The society
cannot also give an accurate answer. It can only cope and adapt the changes that the reality threw
to our senses. It can create solutions solutions that inevitably causes birth of new problems.
Take for an example, to the families of Tikboy, Belena and others interviewed, child labour is not
a problem, it is more of a solution since it adds to their income. But on other perspective, it is a
problem which caused more problems. Why? Those children were not receiving proper
education; they were unconsciously subjected to the selfish motive of some adults who only
wanted to benefit and not to help.

We would say, child labour is a social problem, yet it is rooted on a problem that exists
long before these children and perhaps the parents of these children were born poverty.
Poverty takes on many forms yet it elicits different result and one is what the object of discussion
is all about, not to mention prostitution and other coping strategies used by people to generate
income.
As much as I would like to point out instant solution to this issue, I know it is not that
easy. I strongly believe that children are the victims of abuse in this situation and they need to be
protected and be allowed to enjoy their childhood. I believe that the reason why they are easily
manipulated and exploited is because people can easily take advantage of their innocence. They
follow orders with an unhesitant attitude, thinking only of the positive outcome that could branch
out from their actions. It is also sad that they feel they do not deserve to do the things that they
should do as kids like go to school for example because they live in a completely different
world, a world where working for living is their first priority.
At the end of the movie, I realized the difference between privilege and rights - there are
things that I have taken for granted for most of the time. My education, for instance, is an
example. I would sometimes complain about my benefits but I also fail to realize that there are
some people, especially kids, would rather enter any kind of job just to put food on their table.
Their love for their job made me humble. I am moved by the motivation of these kids family. I
am touched by their selflessness. At young age, they show great love for their family. They are
not bitter for their fate. They work for their family and tried to understand their situation.
This will remind me that along with the privilege to study social science, I also have
social responsibilities as well. I have role to play in building the nation.