The Child and Poverty Situation
- Poverty Situation in Philippines
In 2006, 1 in every 3 Filipinos was poor – earning Ps40 (about $1) a day. The 2006 official poverty statistics for the basic sectors says:- Top two highest shares to total population in the country were observed in the urban population: women, and children.
- 27% or over 3 million children aged 0-5 are underweight
- Street Children
- In 1998, there were about 1.5 million street children.
- DSWD estimated this number to increase yearly by about 6,365.
- About 44,000 are highly visible street children (those who stay in the street for more than 4 hours).
- Abandoned/Neglected and Unregistered Children
- 2.6 million children remain unregistered – with no proof of name, age, parentage or ethnicity.
- 1,039 are abandoned
- 2,267 are neglected
What are Street Children?
According to United Nations, there are roughly 150 million street children around the world. The term “street children” refers to children living in areas with poor conditions and they roam around freely on the streets without any supervision from adults. These children undergo complex situations or circumstances that could cause a negative impact to their physical and mental well being, since they live on the streets, they are highly vulnerable in violence and exploitation.
Batang Star’s definition of Street Children means that little kids who make the streets their home and refuge than their family home due to encountered family problems and dire communities they lived in. They stay and/or live on the streets for less than four (4) hours or longer hours without care, guidance and protection from responsible adults or guardians, for economic and survival purposes and/or for external belongingness in the case of the children who are playing and/or working and/or living on the unsafe streets.
Street Children – The Three (3) Categories
To scientifically understand street children and the child within this sector, Batang Star Philippines, Inc. conducted the research survey on Street Children Profiling Project way back 2014-2016, the following are the identified categories as the outputs of the research study:
- Street Children Playing in the Streets (SCPS)
These poor children tend to run and play around the streets with their friends for fun which could be highly vulnerable to the children. These children influence each other with what they’re playing and they tend to be interested in what other street children are doing and it caused them to stay longer in the streets to play.
2. Street Children Working in the Streets (SCWS)
These poor children go to the streets to earn an income for themselves or for their families. They often beg for money in the streets by selling necessities in the public market, cleaning and watching cars, singing a song, and many more.
3. Street Children Living in the Streets (SCLS)
These poor children living in the streets as their home may have gone through difficult situations from their families. It could be due to physical or mental abuse or worst. They lived and slept in the sidewalks of the streets or in abandoned establishments.
Batang Star Philippines, Inc. 