Proportion of working children 5 to 17 years old was estimated at 5.7 percent
The total population of children 5 to 17 years old in Bicol Region was estimated at 2.08 million in 2021. Of the estimated 2.08 million children 5 to 17 years old in 2021, 117.8 thousand or 5.7 percent were working. This was higher than the proportion of working children 5 to 17 years old in 2020 of 4.8 percent but lower than in 2019 of 7.4 percent (Figure 1).

Working Children was highest in Northern Mindanao

Across regions, Northern Mindanao posted the highest proportion of working children of 12.5 percent in 2021. This was followed by Caraga Region at 11.1 percent and Region XII or SOCCSKSARGEN at 7.4 percent in 2021. Bicol region had a proportion of 5.7 percent in 2021,4.8 percent in 2020, and 7.4 percent in 2019.

In terms of share to total working children, Northern Mindanao posted the highest at 13.7 percent, followed by CALABARZON at 10.1 percent, and Central Visayas at 8.7 percent. On the other hand, National Capital Region (NCR) at 1.6 percent, Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) at 1.7 percent, and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) at 2.1 percent, had less than three percent each. Bicol Region had a share of 8.6 percent in 2021, 11.1 percent in 2020, and 14.0 percent in 2019 (Figure 2).

Child laborers in the region increased in 2021

In this release, child labor includes: (i) hazardous work (hazardous child labor) which encompasses undesirable activities or work done in hazardous environment (as identified in DOLE Order No. 04 (1999) on “Hazardous work and activities to persons below 18 years of age”), and work done for long hours of more than 40 hours and/or night time or the entire day by children in ages 15 to 17 years (Section 12A (2) and (3) of RA No. 9321); and (ii) those classified as other child labor, that is, work by children below 15 years of age in excess of the allowable work hours or less than 20 hours (Sec. 12A (1) of RA No. 9231).

In 2021, the total number of working children considered engaged in child labor was estimated at 60 thousand. This was higher than the reported working children engaged in child labor in 2020 at 55 thousand. In 2019, the estimated number of working children engaged in child labor was 76 thousand. (Table C).

In terms of proportion, 51.2 percent of the working children were engaged in child labor in 
2021. This was lower than the estimated proportion of 57.0 percent in 2020 and 52.0 percent in 2019. (Figure 4 and Table C).

Seven in every 100 child laborers were in Bicol Region

Across regions, Northern Mindanao had the highest share to the country’s child laborers at 14.8 percent, followed by Central Visayas at 10.0 percent. NCR had the lowest share at 1.2 percent, followed by CAR and BARMM at 2.0 percent. Bicol Region had a share of 6.5 percent in 2021, lower than the share in 2020 and 2019 at 9.2 percent and 11.9 percent, respectively.