A child should be nurtured by parents right in their home, they must be protected, fostered, guided and cared for so that their little seed will grow, and became a good citizen.

Parents have their great responsibility to their  child to meet all their needs. But the situation seems to be reversing at the moment. Children are forced to work to give their parents at least a little something to share at twice a day.

According to the data from the International Labor Organization (ILO) an estimated 29.019 % of senior citizens are still working while 18.9 % are minors and 2,993 of them are reported to be engaging in dangerous activities.

Just like here at Cataning Elementary School, some of the students are not given proper attention to their studies because they are working after class, so they are often drowsy, sleepy in class, lethargic, and gets low grades on tests. Because some were found parking boys at New Star, PureGold and some other establishments in Balanga. Some sell sampaguita flowers or are taking care of their younger siblings.

The City of Balanga has already taken action in this regard such as addressing 4P’s and banning street children, also in cooperation with the city’s DSWD. The Cataning Elementary school continues to conduct mapping and liaison with parents to reduce or eliminate child labor.

The  government is also expected to take action on this problem which if left unchecked will lead to even bigger problems. It is also a big challenge for parents and soon to  be parents to focus on building a family. Develop a plan to provide for the needs of the whole family.

By: Michelle Marie M. Diaz|Teacher I| Cataning Elementary School | Balanga City, Bataan