Children's toiling bodies behind the tobacco industry

ABSTRACT

@#This study on the tobacco-growing communities in the Northern part of the Philippines unveiled the stark reality of child labor among poor families in rural villages. These children found the tasks of the industry as normal and obligatory. They were made to earn their own money for school, food, and other basic needs such as clothes and personal belongings. This study aimed to give perspective on a child worker's life from their own lens, humanizing the face behind child labor. It unveiled issues, feelings, and deep-seated longings of typical children in tobacco-growing communities: wanting sustenance for their education despite the risks involved, easing their family's burden, finishing studies and preferring work over play. The study also looked at possible mechanisms towards addressing the issue of child labor, which include nurses and social development workers advocating for access to government instruments and raising awareness on the matter.