Uuwi na si Udong: An analysis on an

I-Witness documentary about Child Labor

Kara David’s 2007 I-Witness documentary Uuwi na si Udong is a story of two boys
who works at a sugarcane plantation to help their families pay their debts. These boys and
with 700 of their fellow seasonal farmers are from Aklan and works in a plantation in
Batangas. The documentary thoroughly highlights child laborers’ struggles and the labor
problems that exist in the Philippines.
Child Labor is an illegal practice globally and locally that laws are made to prohibit
this. UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes that children are excuse
from labor and exploitation that are dangerous or bad for their education, health or
development (Art. 32 and 36). The Republic Act 7610 (amended now as RA 7658, s.2016)
prohibits children at below 15 years old from labor in either public or private institutions. But
labor is acceptable when they are immune from the danger of the working place; and they
are provided with prescribed primary or secondary education. However, these policies are
not observed to these cases. Udong and Toto are below 15 years old, suffers from the
dangers lies in their working place and they are not in school. So, why these practice still
happens?
The unpaid debts of the boys’ families forced them and their families to do manual
labor away from their native, Aklan. Udong and his older brother take the burden of helping
their aging father in paying their debt. While Toto proxy his father’s obligation in paying their
family’s loan. The boys’ families came from a long generation of sakadas. When Udong’s
father was interviewed, he said his father is also a sakada too and he started working at age
11. It is seen that intergenerational poverty is the main underlying cause of their early
employment in the labor force.
Parental irresponsibility is also reflected in the cases, although justifiable reasons
were given. Toto is the eldest child of their family. But when his father loaned, his father
were tasked to do manual labor. However, his father chooses Toto to do his part and Toto
travels alone to Batangas to do the task. Both children sacrifice their childhood for a harsh 6
month 12 hours a day labor. That exposes them on the perils of exploitation and dangers in
the labor force.
David’s thorough investigation highlights also the working conditions on the
sugarcane plantation. Laborers are from Aklan and works in the provinces of Batangas,
Laguna, and Pampanga. These laborers lived in poorly ventilated shelters. Their contracts
were due for only 6 months and compensated for around PHP 14,000 in total, and will be
available after the 6 months period. Foods and everyday needs are not free; they are forced
to loan for these too. These working conditions are extreme and unlawful. A strict
compliance of the labor code and other laws must be enforced in this specific industry.
Uuwi na si Udong reflects a social mobility, social injustices and inequality. No
children are entitled to work in an early age and be separated from family. Responsible
parenthood and perseverance is the ultimate prevention in such cases. Strict
implementation of the law or age regulation must be placed in all institution at all cost.
Comprehensive livelihood programs should be made to eradicate poverty in the Philippines
especially in the rural areas. Such cases must be an eye-opener on government institutions
and the society how this system works and how to eradicate.
 Buto’t Balat: An analysis on an
I-Witness documentary about Malnutrition
John Meggy Salinas, MA Social Studies Education
Bicol University Graduate School

Kara David’s 2002 documentary, Buto’t balat is about the stories of families that
suffered from extreme malnutrition in different localities in the Philippines. It featured the
locality of Mercedes, Camarines Norte here in Bicol Region where resources are thriving but
offer the opposite.
Malnutrition is a part of Philippine history. First of the documented cases were in
the Visayas during the Martial Law Years. And this social issue is a rampant problem that
still exists to these days. It is ironic when the Philippines have abundant natural resources to
provide for its citizen. But such cases still happens.
What does this documentary will tell us with causes and effects on malnutrition?
And what it reflects to the Philippine society?
It is heartbreaking to watch how children from early ages to adolescence can be
affected greatly of malnutrition. Those cases suffered from respiratory ailments and heart
ailments that may result to their untimely deaths like the siblings of the 19 year old girl from
Mercedes, Camarines Norte. Poor nutritional supplement is seen as one factor of
malnutrition. The cases and their families shared coffee with rice in their breakfast; and
inferior goods like noodles and canned sardines for their lunch and dinner. Some families
only ate rice, or rice with pagpag (commercial restaurants’ leftovers) or worse, none at all.
Such meal practices break nutritional balance that the body needs. These may cause
ailments related to malnutrition and growth development that are reflected towards the
cases.
The cases’ families gross PHP 30-100 a day from manual jobs. One family earns
from packing fish containers that pay ranges from PHP 30-50 while one family earn from
faring pedicab that pay ranges from PHP 40 a day. These incomes are not enough to buy
their basic needs especially healthy foods.
One of the evident factors that may affect the cases conditions are the living
environment they lived. It was observed that most of the families lived in a filthy environment
like one family lived in Payatas and pagpag is their meal. Vermins and other
microorganisms may thrive in these areas and can cause sickness.
Poor family planning is observed too. Some families have 8 or more mouths to feed.
The inadequate daily income contributes to the inequity that the cases’ needs. Even though
these parents strive hard working day and night, incomes will never be enough to sustain a
huge problem. If only parents realize that family planning is an essential method, cases like
these will never happen.
Buto’t Balat presents us with vivid illustrations of how poor families, from both rural
and urban areas, lives in poverty and how they able to meet both ends.
Although there are changes happen, malnutrition is still documented. This reflects a
failed system in handling social issues like this. Like what Kara concluded, malnutrition is a
huge problem that requires consistent solutions. Comprehensive programs must be made to
eradicate this issue. That malnutrition must be expelled from our society. And never be
rewritten in Philippine history.