Kids brave streets’ dangers to earn
Despite the dangers they may encounter in the streets, some kids in Lapu-Lapu City continue to sell newspapers late at night till early dawn to help provide for their families’ needs.
At 11 p.m., “Gil” carries four dozen local newspapers in his hands, as he calls out to taxi drivers, pedicab drivers, and passengers to buy tomorrow’s newspapers.
Gil said that there are six of them in the family, his father is a carpenter who doesn’t have work most of the time, and his mother is in Manila working as a domestic helper.
He said although he wanted to spend time playing with friends, he chose to work and help provide for his family.
Gil earns P1.50 for every local tabloid that he sells at P7 each.
“I need to come home with money in my hands so my family can have something to eat the following day, I also need money for school,” Gil said. He is currently in Grade 7.
Gil earns around P30 to P50 after four hours of work—-clambering on PUJs, knocking on taxi cabs, and chasing motorists on the street to sell newspapers.
“It’s dangerous sometimes, especially if it’s rainy, but I have learned to be fast,” Gil said.
Miguel, 12, who does the same work as Gil, knows the dangers of selling newspapers in Lapu-Lapu streets at night.
“There was this one time when I climbed on board a PUJ and I was not able to hold on firmly. I fell and I tumbled down the street. My newspapers were thrown everywhere, and I was almost hit by a car,” Miguel said.
Lee, 11, an orphan, sells newspapers at night to provide for his own needs.
“I need to buy food for myself. I don’t want to starve. And if I have extra money, I can go to Internet cafes and play online games,” Lee said.
Gil, Miguel, and Lee are just three of 15 minors who work as newspaper boys in Lapu-Lapu. There are actually 15 of them working for someone they call “Tatz” short for Tatay (father). Tatz provides them the newspapers they sell every day.
“This is better for them because they are earning in a good way, this is much better than stealing or doing bad things against other people just for money. I’m helping them out. Their parents know that they are working for me,” Tatz said.
illegal
But Emma Patalinghug, child specialist of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said letting children work in the streets at night is considered child labor and is illegal.
“These children are actually encouraged to work because of money. They have realized that their parents, who probably don’t have good-paying jobs cannot give them their needs. They may think that it is all right because they are helping, but the hazards they are getting themselves into is what really makes it as child labor, and is unlawful,” Patalinghug said.
Patalinghug said that when the children are rescued, they and their families undergo counseling.
“We teach their parents to work hard for their children. It’s okay for kids to help as long as their health and their studies are not being sacrificed. They should not be working in dangerous places, and at unholy hours,” Patalinghug said.
She said that if they find out that the family is incapable of raising their children well, based on their constant monitoring, their last resort is to take the kids out from the family.
no raw data
The DSWD in Central Visayas has no raw data as to the exact number of victims of Child Labor.
Patalinghug said they worked with Dole against child labor with the labor department being the enforcer of the law against child labor.
She said the DSWD is the one who would help victims and their families recover from untoward incidents.
She said most child labor cases that the DSWD had handled are sex laborers—children engaged in cyber sex, pornography, and those working in bars as prostitutes.
Aside from them, children working in streets and scrap iron shops are also plentiful in Cebu.
