harayo an iloy kag wara na sin ama”, (It is very hard to live specially when your mother is in a far place and you don’t have a father anymore). I was touched with this statement by Gie (not her real name) who, at her age of 13 felt the biLerness of life through poverty. They were seven siblings and their mother was in Laguna working as housemaid. To survive, her siblings were adopted by their rela)ves un)l Liza their cousin (not her real name) built a small house for them so they can be together. Asked how she and her two siblings, Ann and Isay (not their real name) involved in child-‐labor, they simply answered,”dahil po sa kahirapan”(it’s because of poverty). Gie sell viands before going to school and she washes their clothes and does household chores while Ann and Isay helped her. While Gie sell viands, Isay sell fried banana in other si)o, a kilometer walk from Poblacion. Everyday, she doesn’t mind the heat and )red thinking it would be of help to her family.