Monday, 9 February 2015

Minsan Lang Sila Bata (1996 Documentary Film)


Child labor is one of the many concerns in the Philippines and, most disturbingly, one of the most rampant problems we face. It is indeed a social problem in our society. In the documentary, these children were forced to take such tough job because of the harsh realities of poverty and they feel like it’s their responsibility to help their parents to provide the needs of their family. However, because of their innocence they don’t even realize that they are being exploited.  
    
In the documentary, the first group of child laborers is working at the slaughter house. They were tasked to take out the remaining pig fur and clean the cow skin, in return for flesh and fat for free and sometimes a small amount of money. Next, the children are exposed in a scorching heat of the sun where they cut out the unnecessary grass and weeds found in the rice fields. Lastly, the kid’s job at the port is to unload thousands of cement and carry each of them by the used of their heads. Like a normal kid, they also wanted to go to school, but eventually since they were exposed of working at the very young age, their simple desire to have a job like to deliver sugar at other places have become somewhat like their goal.     


These children are deprived of their freedom to enjoy being kids, to go to school and to express their childhood wants and needs. However, poverty hinders the child to any of these things and it seems that their parents don’t have better options left but to resort to child labor. Basically, this documentary film is clearly representing the Philippines current situation on the issue that remains widespread and leaves the viewers uncertain if there is an utmost action in this matter to help eradicate the problem. 

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