Name : MARK PAULO D.

MENDOZA

Subject : Human Rights Reflection & Human Rights issue

MBA-Organizational Management

Date : December 5, 2020

HUMAN RIGHTS

Human rights are the most fundamental requirements for a fully human life. The basic rights

and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. They embody key values

in our society such as fairness, dignity, equality and respect. They are an important means of protection

for us all, especially those who may face abuse, neglect and isolation. Every person has these rights

simply because they are human beings. They are guaranteed to everyone without distinction of any

kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,

property, birth, or other status.

Human rights are essential to the full development of individuals and communities. Many

people view human rights as a set of moral principles that apply to everyone. Human rights are also part

of international law, contained in treaties and declarations that spell out specific rights that countries

are required to uphold. Countries often incorporate human rights in their own national, state, and local

laws.

Human rights reflects the minimum standards necessary for people to live with dignity. Human

rights give people the freedom to choose how they live, how they express themselves, and what kind of

government they want to support, among many other things. Human rights also guarantee people the

means necessary to satisfy their basic needs, such as food, housing, and education, so they can take full

advantage of all opportunities. Finally, by guaranteeing life, liberty, equality, and security, human rights

protect people against abuse by those who are more powerful .

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 HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE

“CHILD LABOR”

Philippines is categorized as a third world country and poverty have been recurrent challenges

in the Philippines and have again come to the fore in the wake of the current global financial crisis and

rising food, fuel, and commodity prices. Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community

lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. Poverty means that the

income level from employment is so low that basic human needs can't be met.

In 2003, the Philippines passed a new law known as R.A. 9231 or the “Special Protection

of Children Against Child Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act”. This law specifically limits the

employment of children below 15 years old. Child labor is work carried out children that harms them or

exploits them in some way - physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking their access to education.

Child labor is considered as a form of child abuse, it being the exploitation of a child’s rights and

freedoms. Therefore, child labor is when underage children are employed, this happens because a child

laborer is paid less than an adult laborer. Child labor is work that deprives children of their childhood,

their potential and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. Children work

in farms and plantations, in dangerous mines, on streets, in factories, and in private homes as child

domestic workers. Agriculture remains to be the sector where most child laborers.

Child labor is only a problem in low-income countries. In fact, child labor - including hazardous

forms of work - can be found not only in our country but also in many countries. For example, underage

workers are often employed in agriculture working in farms, they are exposed to extreme heat, sharp

tools and heavy machinery as well as toxic pesticides. Child labor will disappear when poverty disappear.

Because child labor is so often a result of situations of extreme poverty which force parents to employ

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their children in order to earn extra money, achieving that goal would surely have an impact on the issue

of child labor. However, the complexity of the issue requires a multi-level approach and child labor can

and must be eliminated independently of poverty reduction.

Poverty is widely considered the main reason that children work in jobs that are exploitative and

inappropriate for their age. But there are other reasons as well, including: (1) family expectations and

traditions (2) limited access to compulsory, accessible education and day care (3) public opinion that

downplays the risk of early work for children (4) employers that do not uphold workers' and children’s

rights (5) limited opportunities for women in society (6) irregular monitoring and weak enforcement of

relevant laws (7) local laws that include a lot of exemptions (8) globalization and an emphasis on low

labor costs in order to supply consumers who demand low-cost products. The parents of child laborers

are often unemployed or underemployed, desperate for secure employment and income. Yet it is their

children - more powerless and paid less - who are offered the jobs.

Many children in hazardous and dangerous jobs are in danger of injury or even death. In order

to fairly and adequately meet the needs of this growing workforce and not rely on child labor, a few

things must be prioritized, namely (1) increased family incomes (2) education, that helps children

learn skills that will help them earn a living (3) social services, that help children and families survive

crises, such as disease, or loss of home and shelter (4) family control of fertility, so that families are not

burdened by children that they cannot afford to care for.

But real change requires a collaborative effort and a shared belief that it is “preventable, not

inevitable".  The responsibility falls equally on the shoulders of governments, businesses and individual

consumers.