Child labor

Episode on August 4, 2007 Saturday late night This Saturday night, Sine Totoo airs two of Reporter’s Notebook’s most compelling reports on child labor. Both stories achieved Finalist status at the New York Festivals for Best Documentary - “Bakal Boys" in 2004 and “Batang Kargador" in 2005. A report by Iris Cruz, “Bakal Boys" features children diving into the murky waters of Manila Bay to gather scrap metal from abandoned ships. Because no one can see clearly under the dirty water, they get scratched and bruised as they feel for the metal with their bare hands and feet. Many children have drowned trying to earn money this way. In “Batang Kargador", Maki Pulido documents children carrying cement sacks at the Bacolod City pier. Not only is the job backbreaking, they also risk contracting respiratory diseases because they inhale the cement. Reporter’s Notebook host Maki Pulido and segment producer Anj Guidaya-Atienza explain that saving these children is not as easy as simply asking them to stop working. In an interview with Sine Totoo’s Howie Severino, they share that the poverty in these children’s communities pushes them to work even if their own parents wish they could stay in school. “Batang Kargador" and “Bakal Boys", internationally acclaimed child labor stories from Reporter’s Notebook, air this Saturday late night on GMA-7’s Sine Totoo.

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Batang kargador at ‘Bakal Boys’ Sa “Batang Kargador," makikilala ang mga batang nagtatrabaho sa isang pier sa Bacolod City. Sa halagang 80 sentimo bawat isa, binubuhat nila ang sako sako ng semento mula sa barko at ikinakarga ito sa mga trak. Hindi malayong mabalian sila ng buto sa bigat ng semento, nasisinghot pa nila ang laman nito. Ang mga “Bakal Boys" naman, naninisid ng bakal sa maruming tubig ng Manila Bay. Ibinebenta nila ang mga bakal sa junk shop. Nagkakasugat-sugat ang mga bata sa pagkapa sa mga bakal sa ilalim ng napakaitim na tubig. May ilan pang nalunod dahil sa ganitong hanap-buhay. Sa dami na nilang ginawang storya tungkol sa mga batang manggagawa, hindi na lingid kina Maki Pulido at segment producer na si Anj Guidaya-Atienza ng Reporter’s Notebook na mahirap solusyonan ang problemang ito. Sa panayam ni Howie Severino ng Sine Totoo, sinabi nilang hindi naman nais patrabahuin ng mga magulang ang mga batang ito, pero dahil sa kahirapan hindi na naitutuloy ang kanilang pag-aaral. Alamin ang kuwento ng mga “Batang Kargador" at “Bakal Boys" ngayong Sabado ng hatinggabi sa Sine Totoo ng GMA-7.