Taguiba, Lawrence Vincent P.

SCL
2EMT March 26, 2019

Reflection on the documentary: “Minsan Lang Sila Bata”

The documentary titled, “Minsan Lang Sila Bata” is about a photographer who travels around
different parts of the Philippines to meet and document children who are working under harsh and
difficult conditions. The photographer met and interviewed children from all over the Philippines who
shared their story about what they do, why they do it and what they aspire to be. In Cebu, the
photographer interviewed children in a slaughterhouse, in Leyte she met children who were farmers,
and in Dapitan she met children who worked at the pier moving sacks of concrete. The common thread
that these children have is that they are forced to do a difficult task because of poverty. The children in
the documentary were all doing jobs either because they need money to help their parents or to save
enough money to go to school. In the documentary the narrator says that even though they were only
children, they already seemed tired of life and this was clearly evident in their eyes. The strain and stress
of working at such a young age took not just a physical toll but a mental and psychological one as well.
The children believed that they would not have another chance at a better life and that this is all they
know.

Despite the date of this documentary being released, most of the problems showcased in it are
still very common in today’s world. Poverty is still rampant and child labor is still a large bane in the
lower class of Filipino society. This social problem must be addressed and the fact that it is still
happening today is evidence of the incompetence and/or outright ignorance that the government has in
the problems of the country. Furthermore, the documentary also highlights the importance of education
which plays an important role in the fight against child labor. Yes, the children cannot study because
they need to work and paying for school is expensive, but the government needs to provide a better
system such as free education or at the very least cheaper tuition. The Philippine government must
better enforce the laws and statutes that protect children’s rights (such as education, time to play, have
a safe environment, etc.). A law that is not enforced is as useless as the paper it is written on.