PHL has over 1 million working children

The number of children working in the country fell by 26% to 1.09 million in 2023, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.

PSA data showed the number of working children, aged between five and 17 years old, dropped by over 383,000 in 2023 from about 1.48 million in 2022.

The share of children doing work fell to 3.5% of the child population in 2023, lower than 4.7% in the previous year.

The term “working children” covers all children engaged in any form of economic activity regardless of their age or the nature of the work, PSA said.

Out of the 1.09 million working children, boys made up 59.1% of the total, while girls accounted for 40.9%.

The service sector employed 50% of the working children, slightly higher than 49.5% in 2022.   

The agriculture sector’s share of child workers went up to 43.7% in 2023 from 43.2% in 2022.

Industry had the smallest share of working children at 6.3% in 2023, slipping from 7.3% in 2022.

In 2023, 73.7% of working children logged 20 hours or less of work each week, PSA said. This was lower than 75.6% a year earlier.

Meanwhile, the number of working children involved in “child labor” was estimated at about 678,000 in 2023, dropping from about 828,000 a year earlier.

Child labor is defined by the PSA as working children who are engaged in hazardous work or whose work exceeds 40 hours.

The statistics agency estimated that 62% of the total number of working children in 2023 were engaged in child labor. The ratio was 56% in 2022 and 68.4% in 2021.

Of the estimated 678,000 working children engaged in child labor in 2023, 62.1% or 422,000 were boys, while 37.9% or 257,000 were girls.

Agriculture had the highest share of child laborers at 65.3%, followed by services (30.7%) and industry (4%).

Earlier, Labor Undersecretary Benjo Santos M. Benavidez said the agency is working to eliminate child labor and prevent child labor practices.

Source: Business World

PHL score drops in Labor Rights Index

The Philippines’ score in the global Labor Rights Index worsened this year, largely due to an environment that restricts unions, strikes, and collective bargaining deals.

A study by the Amsterdam-based WageIndicator Foundation and the Center for Labor Research showed the Philippines logged a score of 68 out of 100 in the global Labor Rights Index this year, falling 2.5 points from a 70.5 score in 2022.

According to the scale, a score of 60.5 to 70 means there is limited access to decent work.

However, the Philippines’ score was below the global average of 74.

The Labor Rights Index scored economies based on labor laws only, discounting the actual working conditions or labor law compliance in workplaces, the Dutch organization said in a statement.

The biennial report showed that the country maintained its 2022 scores in nine of the 10 indicators in the study, except for Freedom of Association, where it scored zero out of 100.

“The Philippines saw a negative score adjustment in the Freedom of Association Indicator,” it said. It cited the provision in the Labor Code that a trade union “must demonstrate majority support in a bargaining unit for engaging in collective bargaining.”

University of the Philippines-Diliman School of Labor and Industrial Relations Assistant Professor Benjamin B. Velasco said the score on the rights of association and collective bargaining was “not surprising” due to the labor-related killings in the country and the unimplemented recommendations of the International Labor Organization High-Level Mission last year.

“The challenge for [the country] is how to improve its institutions (Department of Labor and Employment, labor inspectors, Philippine Economic Zone Authority, police, and military) so that laws (labor-related or otherwise) are implemented fairly and judiciously. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done,” he added.

The Philippines posted a score of 100 for the Maternity at Work indicator, which is attributed to policies supporting maternity leave, benefits, and job protection for pregnant workers.

Philippine laws mandate at least 14 weeks of paid maternity leave, with cash benefits covering a substantial portion of a worker’s wages.

The Philippines had a score of 80 in four indicators: Fair Wages, Employment Security, Social Security, and Fair Treatment.

For Fair Wages, it cited Philippine laws on minimum wages and overtime compensation but noted the lack of a law requiring additional compensation for working on a weekly rest day.

For Employment Security, it cited laws that require written employment contracts and severance of at least two weeks’ wages for every year of service. However, there is no law that limits the probationary period to three months.

Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino National President Renecio “Luke” S. Espiritu called the scores for Fair Wages and Employment Security as “absurd,” noting that the minimum wage in the country (P7,531) is only a third of the living wage (P21,494).

“We in the labor movement will not stop in our fight to abolish all manpower agencies, a legislated wage increase of P750 plus, and guaranteeing union rights,” he said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Meanwhile, the country scored 75 in both Safe Work and Child and Forced Labor as there is a lack of law restricting work that is prejudicial to the health of the mother or the child, and the lack of law setting employment entry age equal to or higher than the compulsory schooling age.

The Philippines scored 60 on Decent Working Hours, since it lacks laws restricting maximum working hours, including overtime, to 56 hours per week and requiring at least three working weeks of paid annual leave.

It also scored 50 on Family Responsibilities as there is no law requiring four-month parental leave for parents and flexible working arrangements for workers with family responsibilities.

“Comparing with other [Southeast Asian] countries. [The Philippines scored] higher than average. But this is because the ranking is based on legislation, not implementation,” Mr. Velasco said. “If enforcement is taken into consideration, I believe the Philippines will [score] lower.”

The Labor Rights Index 2024 is a de-jure index covering 145 economies and structured around the working lifespan of a worker.

In total, 46 questions or evaluation criteria are scored across 10 indicators. The overall score is calculated by taking the average of each indicator, with 100 being the highest possible score.

Greece and Hungary are among the top scorers, with 96 points each, while Nigeria is the worst with 37 points.

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Source: Business World

Job quality remains an issue as joblessness dips — DoLE

The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said underemployment remains a concern even with the decline in joblessness, after jobholders who said they are seeking more work rose to 12.1% in June from 9.9% in May.

Labor Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma said in a statement on Thursday that the rise in underemployment was due to “seasonal factors,” without elaborating.

DoLE is working with the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Inter-Agency Council, chaired by the National Economic and Development Authority, to implement the national employment masterplan.

“Through strategic partnerships with the private sector and targeted interventions, we aim to transform challenges into opportunities, ensuring that the benefits of economic growth are shared equitably and that no one is left behind,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Federation of Free Workers (FFW) urged the government to improve job quality, including the share of the workforce holding regular-employee status, to ensure economic growth.

“FFW holds that the high percentage in the service sector includes the prohibited ‘labor-only’ contracting and contractual job arrangements which workers (consider) abusive and exploitative,” FFW President Jose G. Matula said.

“FFW recognizes the significance of these numbers but remains concerned about the quality and security of jobs, particularly in the services sector,” he added.

Another labor group, Kilusang Mayo Uno, called for better job quality.

“The jobs created by the Marcos Jr. administration are of low quality and temporary. The majority of these jobs are in construction, wholesale and retail trade, and food service. Notably, there has been a reduction in agricultural jobs,” Secretary-General Jerome M. Adonis said in a statement.

Mr. Adonis called for the government to implement a liveable minimum wage, which it estimated at P1,200 per day.

“It should also develop a genuine program for creating long-term regular jobs that align with the goals of national development,” he said.

“Workers should assert these demands through various means: forming unions, engaging in dialogue, and staging widespread protests to advance their call,” Mr. Adonis added.

The unemployment rate in June dipped to 3.1%, the lowest in two decades, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Wednesday.

Jobless numbers amounted to about 1.62 million in June, against 2.11 million in May.

The employment rate was 96.9% in June, equivalent to about 50.28 million individuals holding jobs, compared to 95.5% in May, equivalent to 48.87 million people.

The Labor Force Survey found that the service sector remained the top employer, with 58.7% of the workforce employed in the industry, followed by agriculture with 21.1% and industry with 20.2%.

“The labor market continues to demonstrate remarkable strength and resilience… This positive trend is driven by robust economic growth, particularly in construction; wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles; and accommodation and food service activities sectors,” Mr. Laguesma added.

Source: Business World