'Bawat Barya,' dokumentaryo ni Atom Araullo | I-Witness

Summary

Atom Araullo’s documentary follows two boys in difficult circumstances who find ways to earn money around Malabon and Navotas.

Cholo

Cholo began collecting recyclables when he was about eight. He gathers floating plastic from a polluted river using a small raft made from Styrofoam and wood. He also searches sewer drains for coins with a magnet tied to a line.

He saves what he earns and has bought practical items for his crowded household. He hopes eventually to help build a better home. Now around 13, Cholo has stopped attending school, in part to help his family. His mother says she urges him to return, but his father has been unemployed for an extended period, and Cholo feels he needs to contribute.

Bitoy

Bitoy, 12, sometimes sleeps in a jeep or beneath a bridge. He gets food where he can, takes occasional jobs near the fish port, and searches drains for coins by hand.

He stopped attending school after Grade 1 because of financial hardship and says he feels jealous of children who attend classes. A social worker explains that Bitoy’s street life and work expose him to danger and may indicate neglect. City workers eventually bring him to a minors’ shelter, where he is fed and given a health check while officials look into his family situation.

Child labor and the documentary’s conclusion

The documentary cites an estimate that 1.37 million children aged 5–17 in the Philippines were working in 2021. It also notes a global increase in child labor after two decades of decline.

It concludes that children should not have to carry the burden of escaping poverty through hazardous work. Their welfare depends on support from parents and the wider community.

Presenters and contributors

Atom Araullo (reporter and host); Cholo; Bitoy; Cholo’s mother; Bitoy’s uncle; Mika (city social worker); other family members; and local social workers.