In the Philippines, child labor refers to the illegal employment of the children 
below 5 years old or those below 18 years old in hazardous occupation.

	The Child Labor Program is part of the government's effort to give effect to 
several legal mandates on the protection of children.

	The 1987 Philippine Constitution provides that "The State shall defend... the 
right of children to assistance including proper care and nutrition, and special protection 
from all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation and other conditions prejudicial to 
their development". This finds statutory translation in P.D. 603 or the Philippine Child and 
Youth Welfare Code of 11 December 1974. P.D. 603 defines the rights of children as right 
to protection against exploitation, improper influence, hazards, and other conditions or 
circumstances prejudicial to his / her physical, mental, emotional and moral development. 
It likewise assures that children are entitled to at least an elementary education.

    Article 32 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified by the Philippines 
on 26 July 1990) provides that "States parties recognize the right of the child to be 
protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to 
be hazardous or to interface with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's 
health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development."             

    States parties shall also take legislative, administrative, social and educational 
measures to ensure the implementation of the abovementioned article. In particular, 
states parties shall provide for minimum age, appropriate regulation of the hours 
and coditions of employment; and provide for appropriate penalties or other sanctions 
to ensure the effective enforcement of the article.

    Republic Act 7610 declares as a state policy the provision of special protectio to 
children from all forms of abuse, neglect, cruelty, exploitation and discrimination and other 
conditions prejudicial to their development. It provides sanctions against such acts and 
allows the state to intervene in behalf of the child when the parent or guardian fails to 
protect the child.

    R.A. 7658, which amended R.A. 7610 as regards the child labor provision prohibits 
the hiring of children below 15 years old, except those which are non-hazardous and limited 
strictly to activities that are directly under the sole responsibility of their parents or legal 
guardian and where only family members are employed; and to cinema, theather, radio and 
television where their participation is essential. This law requires the active involvement 
of the DOLE as a regulating body to control the grant of work permits.