Agriculture is one of the major economic drivers in the Philippines. It plays a vital role in the country’s economic development, contributing to about 8.9 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last quarter of 2018. Agriculture in the country is characterized as labor intensive for both small-scale and multinational owned farms, making it a dominant source of employment in rural areas of the country. Historically, children, both girls and boys, have been and continued to be part of the agricultural workforce worldwide. Among the important factors that push children to work are: family poverty, lack of accessible and quality education, lack of employment
opportunities and decent work for adults, and cultural traditions. Children usually contribute to tending their family-owned farms or assist their parents who are working in large plantations, making their services invisible and unacknowledged. Their tasks range from light work to heavy and hazardous works. Being known as one of the most hazardous sectors in the world, agricultural work exposes children to various dangers that may or may not transcend into their adulthood.
Title: Non-Hazardous Activities for Children: The Case of Banana and Sugarcane Supply Chains
Researcher: Frances Camille G. Dumalaog & Franchesca Rose S. Castillo