A Breach of Children's Rights

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A child is one of God's most priceless and beautiful creations, a source of pride and joy to the family. And as such, parents and/or guardians are responsible that the child's physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual needs are sufficiently met. Children are vulnerable and those entrusted for their care are responsible to protect them and keep them safe at all times.

But not all children are as privileged. Many of them are trapped into situations where their growth and rights as children are unjustly jeopardized. To date, more and more kids are becoming easy targets of abuse. In the Philippines, child workers are more often vulnerable to exploitation. And one area where this is commonplace is in the entertainment industry.

Children who work in entertainment, particularly those in show business are often subject to abuse, exploitation and discrimination, yet most of their elders and guardians don't know any better. They go unheard and this is wrong.

DOLE ( Department of Labor and Employment) a government organization that safeguards the rights of the working children (15 years old and below) against a working environment that is abusive - mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. This practice is considered exploitative.

Unfortunately, poverty is one significant barrier to children achieving their rights and being treated fairly. Television networks and movie companies are mostly guilty of the above. They know the rules , turn a blind eye, and violate them. What are considered violations of children's rights in local showbiz?

LONG WORK HOURS, mostly lasting till the next day can be very damaging, affecting the child's health, academic performance and adolescent behavior in the long term. Sleep is so important, that lack of it can adversely harm them for a long time.

TOO MUCH PRESSURE to deliver good/excellent performance from the director, the child's manager and guardians can wreak havoc on the child's still about-to-bloom personality.

In showbiz, children talents who do a serye or soap are exposed to an environment too large for their young minds to comprehend, not to mention the injustice being committed. The only difference is that children who are lead stars are given preferential treatment and enjoy more perks, vis a vis bit players and extras. *Children's rights apply equally to every child, regardless of who they are, or where they live.*

What am I talking about? Too often, poverty is the most significant factor why children and their parents decide to enter showbiz. Many are blinded and overwhelmed by stardom and the fame and fortune that go with it. Not realizing that it's just the surface that they're seeing. Showbiz starters are often shocked to see the reality behind the glitz and glamor. As newbies, both guardian and child never thought that work hours can entail so long, with very little pay to show for it. An average talent/extra can get anywhere from 500 to 800 or at most 1,000 pesos net per day for a taping or shoot that can last from 6am to 2am of the next day. Under such agonizing long hours, children extras are never given quarters where thay can sleep or even rest. Only big stars are provided with airconditioned tents for the purpose. Extras have to be creative to fend for themselves. They are fortunate if the location shoot is somewhere near comfortable like a big house for example. But what if it is in a forested area, or something like a farm?

There was an instance that an agent was tasked to bring in a truckful of extras for a big scene to be shot that day. The children extras arrived on the set at 7am. Early call time, but they were called to the scene at past 3pm already. What happened and where were they between 7am and 3pm, when the summer heat seemed like to melt one's flesh? They were just scattered around, some crowding under a tree to shield themselves from the scorching summer heat. Kids as young as 4 and 5 years old, were accompanied by their mothers or guardians, but who could only do so much. Sometimes babies get sick on the set, but the production people would not want them to go home because taping has to be finished that day. If you ask them why they allow their kids to go through this ordeal, the standard parent's reply, "This is better than staying at home with nothing. At least here, we are fed and paid, no matter how small." Sigh, indeed, beggars can't be choosers. Aren't you reminded of Marie Antoinette's "Let them eat cake?"

But isn't the above a clear expoitation, capitalizing on the plight of the poor, hapless children in exchange for crumbs?

"Sec. 12-D. Prohibition Against Worst Forms of Child Labor. - No child shall be engaged in the worst forms of child labor. The phrase "worst forms of child labor" shall refer to any of the following:
"(4) Work which, by its nature or the circumstances in which it is carried out, is hazardous or likely to be harmful to the health, safety or morals of children, such that it:
"b) Exposes the child to physical, emotional or sexual abuse, or is found to be highly stressful psychologically or may prejudice morals. "

Every network has a reputation amongst the myriad of issues happening in each "backyard." Network A is untrained but generous, network B is calculating but often misses. When it comes to advocacies, network C has probably the most. Yet one of them reeks of hypocrisy --- its children's welfare's loud talking should be matched with kilometric walking.

In its weekly tapings, this network C's popular program regularly engages the services of child extras. Aside from all the above abuses happening everytime, there's something more than meets the eye. Children are both exposed and subjected to verbal abuse -- oftentimes being shouted at at the slightest misdemeanor/mistake, by the production staff, making the helpless children nervous and fearful. During dramatic scenes where crying is required, they have devised a way to make the kid act accordingly -- threaten the child that if he would not cooperate, his mother or anyone in his family will be killed on the spot.

"Verbal assault - when an authority threatens or bullies the child and creates a climate of fear for the child. Terrorizing can include placing the child or the child’s loved one (such as a sibling, pet or toy) in a dangerous or chaotic situation, or placing rigid or unrealistic expectations on the child with threats of harm if they are not met."

Even if the shouting are sometimes not directed at them but to their agents/caregivers, still the trauma on the children cannot be over-emphasized.

Each taping requires dozens of scenes to get completed. And each scene would be repeated 5 to 6 times if they're lucky, and more if the director is fastidious and doesn't feel satisfied. Child extras who usually have no formal acting workshops find this practice really excruciating. You factor in everything that happens as stated above, and you get a picture of a child who gets severely "beaten" psychologically, mentally, and physically.

"Douglas Besharov states in Recognizing Child Abuse: A Guide for the Concerned, “Emotional abuse is an assault on the child’s psyche, just as physical abuse is an assault on the child’s body”(1990). Children who are constantly ignored, shamed, terrorized or humiliated suffer at least as much, if not more, than if they are physically assaulted. Danya Glaser (2002) finds that emotional abuse can be “more strongly predictive of subsequent impairments in the children’s development than the severity of physical abuse.” Constant exposure to verbal abuse tears a child's self-esteem."

Sometimes, the abuses committed against these kids also stem from the pressures on the production to come up with a product that's excellent, fast and finished with the LEAST production cost.

Network C has foundation focused on child welfare program that not only "saves and restores back to good health sick and abused children, but also gives shelter, treatment and quality home care for rescued children until they can be with their families again or referred to child-caring agencies. It has the following services: training and advocacy on child abuse prevention, rehabilitation of families in crisis, academic scholarships, livelihood, community outreach and medical and dental missions." Are DOLE officials aware that this very tenet is being broken by the very people who are supposed to uphold them?

I used to admire network C for I thought that it is THE face of children's refuge and well-being. But their clouded principles and total apathy smashed that illusion.

"Everything you say and do to a child is absorbed, catalogued and remembered."

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Sources:
http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2003/ra_9231_2003.html
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/childrens-services/childrenandyoungpeople/child-protection/child-abuse.htm
http://www.thefamilyinternational.org/en/children-hope-future/