Saturday, August 23, 2008 Speak out: Reflections on child labor By Edgar Ylagan
After watching “Minsan Lang Siya Bata,” a documentary film on child labor, I was sad, tired and angry.
Like my colleagues who watched the film, I wondered what kind of parents those unfortunate children have.
What are their family backgrounds?
Did their parents ever love them?
When did the loving start and when and how did it stop?
I also wondered how God could allow others to cause the misery and suffering of those innocent children.
Some of us, perhaps, must have recalled the days of our youth when life was easy and simple and we were free from worries because we have or had parents who cared and loved and nurtured and reared us.
I am sure many were teary eyed and wanted to go home that night to embrace their children tightly and to reassure them that they are loved and being cared for.
All of us must have, in the silence of our hearts, praised God and thanked Him for all the good things we have.
The film somehow made us appreciative that we are employed, that we have our families and friends who love and care and
pray for us.
The “players” of the film were just a few of the millions of other abused children.
The film did not include street children, child prostitutes, orphans, etc.
These children do not deserve to live in a very cruel world where there is nothing but hunger, dejection, abuse and exploitation.
Living will never give them comfort and joy.
God should get them back because Heaven is a better place for them.
There they will never experience hunger and pain, they do not have to labor but only play with the cherubim and the
seraphim and, perhaps, pray for us, the living.
Are there still opportunities to better their life?
Will one of them become mayor or governor or president, doctor, teacher, or a Pinoy Big Brother winner?
One boy said he wants to become a lawyer to solve problems.
What are his chances of becoming one when he looks worn out and sick?
Will they become good citizens or hardened criminals?
We were teary eyed while watching the film but do we really care for them?
Is there really compassion among us?
We worry over the pettiest things.
What shampoo and soap to use, when would be our next haircut.
We even lose sleep over the brand of toothpick we use.
What brand of toothpaste will make our teeth whiter?
What lotion is best for our delicate skin?
And while we bother over these trivial things, those children have almost nothing to wear to protect their skin and their feet.
We cannot make up our minds sometimes if we should have a meal at Jollibee or McDo, but for those children hunger is
already their way of life.
Our pet animals are better off compared with those children because they eat regularly and on schedule.
Those children, after a day of hard labor, are left with only P10 or nothing because their parents have collected their “suhol.”
This while we waste our money on vices.
Millions are spent on luxuries while the only luxury those children could have is sleep and to forget their misery.
Do those children pray before going to bed?
What are their prayers?
There are many ways of helping those children.
Do they need our prayers?
What if we decide to adopt them?
How sure are we that we will be safe with them?
It is possible that they have toughened their hearts to survive in the kind of environment they live.
One small slip-up on our part, perhaps, might lead us to the garbage can.
Should we blame their parents?
How come they remained poor?
Weren’t there opportunities to improve their life conditions?
We always blame government for the poverty around us but weren’t there livelihood, educational and other programs that would have improved those children’s economic condition?
Did their grandparents (parents) take advantage of those programs?
What about the Church?
Were there efforts from it to improve people’s moral or spiritual way of life?
