The social situation of selected children working in the backyard mining of Barangay Tuding, Itogon, Benguet

The research looks at the social situation of selected children who were working in the backyard mining of Bgy. Tuding, Itogon, Benguet. The research focuses on the following: the children and their families, the work-related conditions surrounding the children, the nature of the children\u27s work, the employer\u27s policies regarding the hiring of children, and the perceptions of the child laborers, their parents, and the community leader regarding the child labor in the backyard mining operations. Two research methods were used in data collection, particularly, face-to-face interview and key informant interview. Purposive sampling technique was used in selecting the 30 respondents. An interview schedule was used to guide the interview with the child workers while an interview guide was used for the key informants, namely, the mayor, councilors, district supervisor, barangay captain, parish priest, nuns, teachers and health workers. Although the social situation surrounding the selected children seems bleak and exploitative, results show that from the perspective of the parents and the community, child labor in the backyard mining of Bgy. Tuding, Itogon, Benguet is not seen as a problem since working in the mines becomes a training ground for the children to prepare them to become independent. Moreover, the children reported that they volunteered to work in the backyard mining. They reported that they are treated well by their employers. It seems that a patron-client relationship exists between the employers and the children. The children in this community resort to this work due to poverty. Health related problems are felt by the children. The children, if given a chance, would like to stop working because they feel that they should be in school studying. They worked since their families are succumbed to poverty