The street children phenomenon has been considered as one of the effects of economic distress in the Philippines. The increase in oil prices in 1979 and the 1980-1982 worldwide recession has exacerbated the poverty situation in the Philippines. In 1986, 70 to 80 percent of the country’s population of 54 million was considered poor.  In the cities, eleven million urban dwellers were living below the poverty line. It has been observed  that as an effect of economic and social crises in the eighties, an increasing number of street children adopted the streets, markets and other public places as their regular abode and source of livelihood. In the late 1980’s street children were estimated to be between one to three percent of the cities’ young population. In Metro Manila, 50,000 to 75,000 children were found in the streets. In Davao and Iloilo, the number was established to be between 2,000 to 3,000 children.

In the early eighties, street children were perceived to be anti-social. They were associated with juvenile delinquency, pick pocketing , begging and sniffing solvent. Many were subjected to old punitive measures like arrest and harrasments to prevent them from staying in the streets. However, in the mid-1980’s changes in the management of street children influenced Philippine policies and programs on street children. More humane and workable responses to the street children  problem have evolved. In 1985,  the UNICEF, in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare (DSWD), the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), and the National Council of Social Development Foundation of the Philippines (CWAFPI) came up with an integrated program for street children. They established “The Joint Project for Street Children”. Priority cities and towns were identified and working committees were formed. Davao City was one of the priority cities identified.

At present, non-government and government organizations have undertaken activities and programs for the benefit of the street children in Davao City. These have been based on the past surveys and the experiences of implementors. The last survey was done in 1986 as part of a ten-city program set up by the DSWD-NCSD-UNICEF “Joint Project on Street Children”.

The seeming increase in the number of street children requires an update on their situation. This study hopes to provide current information on the nature of the activities, spatial movement, typology, aspirations and motivation of street children in Davao City. The data gathered will give attention and direction to the activities and programs that concern them. Hence, this study will provide bases for planning and implementation of activities, and monitoring and evaluation of programs. At the same time, this study can give rise to further studies that may be necessary.

Objectives

1. To determine the background and characteristics of street children in Davao City.
2. To find out their aspirations and motivations for staying in the streets.
3. To establish a typology of street children in Davao City.
4. To find out their spatial movement at different times of the year.
5. To determine their awareness, perceptions and experiences with programs and projects on street children in Davao City.

Methodology

Research Method Used. The study is descriptive, using the survey method. An interview schedule served as instrument of this study. It covered all areas where the street children converged in Davao City: main streets (San Pedro, Recto and Magsaysay), markets (Bankerohan and Agdao), and other busy public places which include the Sasa airport, bus terminals (Maa and Matina), service stations (Matina Crossing and Agdao), and Sasa wharf.

Unit of Analysis. Children of and on the street aging 18 years and below were the subjects of the study. Children on the street consist of working children who is still have a family connection of a more or less regular nature.. Children of the street consists of children who see the street as their house and it is there that they seek shelter, food and a sense of family with companions.

Sampling Procedure. The following procedures were followed in this study:
1. The sample size of 400  was determined using the formula:

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2. A listing of street children was conducted in all the areas of convergence in Davao city for almost one month by volunteer workers and street educators. Their familiarity  with the street children was helpful in identifying them. The lists were validated by the street educators of the Inter-agency Working Committee for Urban Street Children. Duplication was also checked.

The assessment of the street educators showed that the proportion of street children by area of convergence was not realistic. Thus, in the absence of a realistic list, a percentage estimate of the number of street children by the areas of convergence was utilized to determine the distribution of samples. For example the sample size of San Pedro is equal to 22 percent of 168.

3. Individual respondents were drawn randomly using the lists of street children. The master list was useful in locating the respondents.

Instrumentation. The final interview schedule was formulated using the interview schedules of the past surveys on street children, suggestions given by the street educators and other related literature on street children. Pretesting was conducted to determine the reliability of the instrument. Validity was also confirmed by conducting a focus group discussion with the street children.

The interview schedule included the following variables

I. Background Characteristics
a. socio-demographic
b. Economic activities
c. Family background
d. Health and Nutrition
e. Peer relations
f. Gang membership
g. Arrest and detention

II. Typology of Street Children
III. Spatial Movement
IV. Values and Aspirations
V. Awareness of Institutions for Street Children

Data Gathering. Five field interviews and five street educators were given orientation on the interview schedule. The street educators were requested to assist the interviewers in locating the respondents and in establishing rapport with them. They also helped in the conduct of the interview.

Interviews were undertaken in the daytime and nighttime to enable the interviewers to catch the children in the  streets. Some of the children who did not show up within their areas of convergence were interviewed in their houses. Street volunteers helped in locating the houses of the street children.

Some of the difficulties were:

1. Some street children in the list could not be found in the street. Some of them became street children only during summer but were in school during school days.
2. The lists were not complete, since some street children were not in the lists.
3. Interviews was difficult among children engaged in vending.
4. Some mothers interfered in the interview process. Some of them were suspicious of the interviewers. Trust was a very important factor in the interview. The street educators helped in convincing the mothers to submit their children for interview.
5. Some street children went to two areas of convergence. Difficulty of classifying them according was one of the limitations of the study.

Spotchecking was done by the research team in all the areas sampled.

Data Analysis. Simple central tendencies and percentages were used to analyze the data.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

Sex. Males generally outnumbered females. Out of the 400 respondents, males constitute 76 percent while females, 24 percent. This yields a sex ration of 3.16 males for every female.

Age. The ages of the respondents ranged from 5 to 18 years old, with those in the 13-14 age category comprising the modal class of 31.5 percent. Mean age was computed at 12.57 years.

Grade Level of Respondents. Respondents were asked whether they were currently studying or not. The majority (324 or 81%) were in school while 76 (19%) were out-of-school. Among those who were currently studying, 35.5 percent were in high school, 34 percent were still in the grade 1-4 level, 29.3 percent were in the grade 5-6 level. Interestingly, four of these street children claimed to be college students. Among the school drop-outs, those in the intermediate course (grade 5-6 level) reported the highest rate (35.5%) followed by those in grade 1-4 (31.6 %). At least two street children reported not having received any education at all, while eight others gave non-responses.

Reasons For Dropping Out School. For those respondents who were not studying, the major reasons for dropping out were economic in nature, i.e., financial problems particularly having no money to pay for tuition fees and to buy their schools needs (54%) and being preoccupied with earning a living since the family is dependent on them for their needs (20%). The other reasons given were their lack of interest in attending school (12%), their being run-aways (5%), peer-influence (3%), lack of encouragement or support from family members (1%) and embarrassment, i.e. respondent feels ashamed because he is older than his classmates (1%)

Grade Level and Ability To Read and Write. The respondents were also asked whether they could read and write. Their ability to read and write was determined by asking them to read a few lines from the survey-questionnaires during the interview sessions and asking them to write their names on the instrument. Among the 400 respondents, 354 (88.5%) could read while only 46 (11.5%) did not know how to read. Data on the respondents’ ability to read further cross-classified according to grade levels. Among those who could read, more than half (296) were in school while 58 respondents were out of school.

The high school level had the most number of respondents who could read among those who were in school (38.8%) and for those out of school, 40 percent of those who could read came from the grade 5-6 level. Among both the in-school and out-of-school children, those who could not read were in the elementary level. The respondents’ ability to write was cross-tabulated by grade levels. Except for two (2) respondents, all those currently in school (322) could write. On the whole, the respondents – whether in-school or out-of-school – generally had the ability to read and write (397).

Economic Activities. Generally, the street children belong to the informal sector of workers engaged in casual and unregistered work which is not covered by existing laws on wages and work conditions. This section presents a background on the respondents’ economic activities, such  as their type and place of work, working hours, monthly income, family expectations regarding contributions to the family purse, amount and frequency of contributions, and reasons for giving money to persons other than family.

The survey data revealed that, generally, the street children of Davao City (77%) were involved in a single type of work with a few (17%) holding two, three or even more jobs, over and above their main work. Such arrangements, however, depend on the time and demand for their services. however, depend on the time and demand for their services. The highest number of respondents (148 or 39.4%) were the child-vendors invariably found in market places, shopping centers, terminals and streets of Davao City. The second highest group were those who worked as carwashers/carwatchers (31.6%), found mainly at gasoline stations (18.1%, shopping centers (6.6%), markets (5%) and terminals (1.9%). To a limited extent, the third highest group (13.3%) were the scavengers who were usually found in the streets of Davao City. Still, others earned their living either as shoeshine boys (9.8%) in shopping centers or terminals or as porters (6.4%). The rest were classified as factory workers, trisikad drivers , waiters or waitresses, beggars, errand boys, garbage collectors or even as a guide for the blind.

Type of Work and Working hours. Those respondents who were currently attending school, had either morning or afternoon classes. This arrangement allowed them enough time to  go out in the streets and earn extra money. Data indicate that on the whole, most of these street children work in the afternoons, particularly the carwashers/carwatchers (23.1%) and vendors (22.3%). While scavengers predominantly work in the morning (5.8%), the rest reported various working hours. At least 26.4 percent claimed to be working whole day.

Reasons for Working. Asked why they were working, the majority of the respondents (64.4%) explained that the income of the family was not enough for their daily needs. Some respondents mentioned that their parents were unemployed (7.2%), separated (5.0%), or already dead (3.2%).

Monthly Income. The income of the street children ranged from less than P500.00 to slightly more than P1,500.00 a month.

Approximately half (51.3%) of the respondents earned less than P500.00 while less than a third (30%) reported incomes from P501.00 to P1,000.00. Less than a fourth reported an income of P1,001 to P1,500 (11.4%) and above (6.4%).

Parental expectations from their children, given the present economic difficulties, extend far beyond the regular domestic chores in the household. It now includes child labor and material support which has become the rule rather than the exception. This may be so when a family is not in a position to allocate a high proportion of family resources for meeting personal and material needs. When asked whether their families expected them to contribute to the family purse, close to two-birds (62.8%) of the respondents answered in the affirmative.

The respondents were likewise asked whether they gave money to their families regardless of being expected to or not. A large majority (90.2%) said they gave money to their families on a voluntary basis while 9.0 percent said they did not give at all.

Since a great number of respondents said they gave money to their families, they were also asked how much given and how often such amounts were given. Close to one half (49.2%) gave money on a daily basis while less than a third (31.2%) gave money at least once a week. The rest gave money either gave during weekends only (8.6%), once a month (3.8%) or on various occasions (7.1%). The amount of money given by the respondents to their families ranged from P1.00 to P15.00 or more. The trend shows that whether the respondents give money on a daily, weekly, weekend or monthly basis, the majority (210 or 61.0%) give P15.00 and above.

The respondents were also asked whether they give money to persons other than their families. The question was meant to determine whether this could be a factor why the child is out on the streets and is forced to earn a living. However, data indicate that only 12.8 percent claimed to have given money to persons other than their family. The rest of the respondents either answered negatively (85.6%) or gave no responses at all (1.5%).

Their reasons were largely due to kindness and generosity (60.8%). They extended help  to friends so they could buy their basic needs, especially food to eat (47.1%). About 11.8 percent mentioned delihensya. Still others explained that it is both a form of reciprocity (7.8 %) and an expression of friendship(3.9%).

Occupation of Respondents’ Father and Mother. The data revealed that while 17.8 percent were unemployed, the single biggest group (21%) were craftsmen, production process workers and laborers (e.g., construction workers, shoe repairer, watch repairer, tailor, furniture maker, mechanic, electrician, and welder). The other dominant occupations were those engaged in “buy – and – sell” / trading activities (13%), workers of transport and communication (11%) like drivers, “dispatchers”, and other related occupations.

When asked about their mother’s occupation, more than one-third (36.2%) said they were unemployed. Those who had work were in services and related work (18.7%) (e.g., laundrywomen, house helpers), followed by those in buy and sell (14.7%). Interestingly, a number reported their mothers working as stevedores and freight handlers (13.8%). As observed, most of those who were working belonged to the informal work sector which usually provided unstable and low-paying jobs.

Difficulties in gathering information relative to parental income were observed, as shown in the low responses to income-related questions. Only 145 out of the 322 respondents (45%) whose fathers were working provided information on their fathers’ income and 110 out of the 255 respondents (43%) of those fathers were  working gave similar data. Among those who did, the single biggest group (12.7%) of fathers who were earning reported monthly incomes ranging P500.00 to P1,000.00, while 9.9 percent of them were earning P2,501.00 to 3,000.00 per month. The lowest income received was P500.00 and below (4.7%) and the highest income was P3,001.00 and above (2.8%). As observed, among those who revealed their income, 93.7% were earning below the poverty line which is P3,864.00 per month for a family of six. The mothers’ income seemed to be insufficient to complement the fathers’ income because a large percentage were only earning PI,000.00 and below (24.4%). Taking the father’s and mother’s income together, the family income level was still below the poverty line;

Number of Children in Respondents’ Family. The family economic situation seemed to be aggravated by the fact that more than half of the respondents’ families (62.8%) had one to six children. The over-all average family size was 5.97 children – a figure above the national average of 5.2. One indication of existing coping mechanisms among the respondents’ families was the number of children working in the streets. More than half of the respondents (56.5%) reported that their siblings were likewise working. Half (50.4%) of the siblings working in the street were engaged in buying and selling goods and 30.1 percent were carwashers and “watch-your-car” boys. The data indicate a probable relationship between the siblings’ type of work and that of the respondents’. The respondents were predominantly engaged in buy-and-sell and carwashing and carwatching.

When asked “With whom do you stay?”, the respondents generally said they were staying with their parents (70.3%), with the rest residing either with their mothers (13.2%) or their fathers (3.0%). Only very few (6.8%) stayed with non-relatives. Such findings suggest that while the majority of these respondents live and subsist on the streets, there are continuous interactions with their families. Similar findings were observed in 1988 wherein it a as shown that 70 to 85 percent of the street children in the Philippines had regular contacts with their families. On the other hand, those who were staying with individuals other than their parents (e.g. siblings, relatives or non-relatives) revealed that they never went home at all (51.8%). Only a fifth (20.4%) admitted frequent home visits, with the rest (18.6%) rarely visiting their families.

The reasons most commonly cited in decreasing importance – were poor family life e.g., always bring scolded or punished (21.4%), being abandoned by parents (14.2%), or the anger they felt towards their parents (7.1%). The distance and costs involved (32.2%) were likewise mentioned.

Just as parents are to provide their children with love and affection, they are equally responsible for the inculcation of moral values, along with the proper upbringing and discipline of their children. A common mechanism to achieve these among Filipino families is to scold the children whenever they fail to do what is expected of them.

Such practices were revealed by the street children when asked about the common causes of misunderstanding with their parents. Almost three-fourths of the respondents (78.7%) claimed that the common cause of misunderstanding with their parents was refusal to do what was expected of them. Most of the expectations were related to inculcation of values required of them to be acceptable in society, such as not to lie, not to go out without permission, to go to school, not to quarrel with siblings, not to fight back, not to gallivant and others. Also mentioned were parental expectations that the children share in the household needs. Other causes of misunderstanding were: scapegoating of parents (11.7%), refusal of parents to give money for school requirements (3.4%), miscommunication (2.4%), tantrums (2.1%), and others.

In a related manner, the current study likewise sought information on how parents exerted control over their children. Respondents were asked the forms of punishment given whenever they failed to do what was expected of them or when they did something wrong. Their answers ranged from the mildest form of punishment, which was scolding, to the severest form of physical punishment.  About 43 percent experienced mild physical punishment (e.g., pinching, slapping, spanking) and 30.5 percent experienced severe physical punishment (e.g., kicking, combination of slapping, hitting with a hard object and or striking).

Health and Nutrition

In this study, a scale of 2 feet – 6 feet and above was used to gauge the respondents’ height. Based on the height. Based on the height standards used by the Department of Health (DOH) , survey data revealed that more than 62.3 percent of the respondents fell below the set standard for height and 37.7 percent fell within standards. No respondents were observed to be above the required standards. Data gathered on body structure were classifies into four categories, i.e. skinny, slim, medium-built and stout. Close to 60 percent of the respondents were observed to be slim while 23 percent were of medium build. The rest were mainly skinny (13%) or stout (1%).

Data showed that  respondents took the recommended three servings of energy-rich food, such as rice everyday. Breakfast, lunch and supper consisted of cheap sources of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins. The common source of protein is fresh or dried fish, usually taken during breakfast (52%), supper (50.8%) and lunch (49.8%). Presumably, after a hard day’s work in the streets, the children want a better meal, thus a higher percentage of carbohydrates and protein-rich foods. The main source of vitamins is vegetables invariably taken during lunch (41.8%), supper (36.8%) or breakfast (17.2%). On the other hand, eggs and poultry were mentioned by a limited group, i.e. during breakfast (14.0%), lunc (2.8%), and supper (2.8%). At best, the low percentage intake of eggs, meat, and poultry and the limited choices for other protein and vitamin foods is but a reflection of the extent of the street child’s and family’s impoverishment.

Data show that 63 percent claimed to have more than 8 hours of sleep. About 21 percent sleep exactly 8 hours and 15.8 percent had less than 8 hours sleep. In addition, when probed where respondent slept, 92.3 percent said they slept at home, with the rest mentioning either in a center for street children  (3.5%) or sleeping on the sidewalks or streets (2.5%). Such findings suggest the possibility of the respondents working close to their homes, thus allowing such sleeping arrangements. Relatedly, the findings that the majority of the respondents still had parents and were living with them, would reinforce such arrangements.

As another indicator of health, the respondents were asked about their bathing habits. More than three-fourths (78%) took daily baths, with more than a tenth (11.5%) bathing more than once a day, and still others reportedly taking a bath every other day (9.8%). Interestingly, two respondents claimed to bathe on a weekly basis (0.5%).

Illness for the Past Three Months. Recall data was subsequently utilized to investigate the health status of the street children, i.e. their ailments for the past three months. Physical health was measured by the prevalence of signs and symptoms of illness as reported by the children. Approximately 94.5 percent of the street children interviewed reported some form of illness during three-months preceding the study period. Symptoms related to upper respiratory were the most common, namely cough/colds (69.8%) and its related symptoms like fever (67.7%) and headache  (46.3%). Gastro-intestinal ailments such as diarrhea (18.5%) and parasitism (7.1%) were similarly mentioned though at a much lesser extent. On the other hand, skin diseases (11.9%) in the form of prickly heat, scabies and ringworms ranked third, followed closely by the common flu (10.6%).

Significantly, the street children were found to have inferior physical health. This was manifested by a lower nutritional state and the tendency to experience more upper respiratory and gastro-intestinal disorders as well as skin diseases.

Field observations by the research team suggest that the conditions under which these children work could have predisposed colds, fever and flu may be the possible consequences of their exposure to bad weather and air pollution. High levels of dust have been known to lead to irritations of the respiratory system.

The family’s role of nurturance and sustenance is most evident and appreciated during one’s illness or moments of depression. Survey findings reveal such roles are most established among these street children’s families. While mothers were consulted by a significant majority (70.5%) whenever they were sick, the other family-members likewise provided such assistance, e.g. the fathers, grandparents, professional health workers (e.g doctors and nurses) and street educators were likewise mentioned though by a limited group. Likewise, mothers were identified as the main source of health care (77%).

The respondent’s use of toilet facilities outside their homes was likewise elicited as an indicator of health and sanitary practices. The respondents’ reported using those most convenient and closest to their place of work. A large percentage (36.7%) of the street children claimed using toilets of churches, hospitals, schools and other buildings. A bigger proportion of respondents (31.5%) went home to use toilets. Likewise it has been observed that some of these street children (27%) used those areas accessible behind the buildings or went to the river to relieve themselves.

Spatial Movement

Spatial mobility was ascertained by looking into the movement from place of birth to the place of residence at the time of interview and the movement of respondents in terms of the areas frequented.

The respondents were generally non-migrants (65.5%), having been born in Davao City and still residing in the same area. Close to a third (32.3%) were migrants most of whom being interprovincial migrants within Mindanao, e.g. the Davao provinces, Surigao del Sur and Norte, Butuan Iligan and Zamboanga.

The single biggest group of these respondents (55.8%) began their street life between the ages 8 to 11 years old. The mean age is 9.6 years old. Since then, they reported having stayed from one to two places (84.7%). They also reported having stayed from 12 to 48 months (1 to 4 years) in the first area frequented (66.3%). The same pattern was observed when asked about the second place stayed in. The data seem to indicate that respondents have not been very mobile.

It was observed that street children usually frequent places near their residences. As explained by the street educators during one focused group discussion, the street children exhibit some form of “territoriality” among themselves mainly as a means of protecting themselves from other street children who might belongs to another area. During the First Assembly of Street Children in Davao City, the children were observed to show some signs of antagonism towards non-group members.

Patterns of the geographical mobility of the children were likewise ascertained particularly during certain seasons of the year such as during the school terms, Christmas holidays, and summer vacations. The children were frequently in the market places during school days (24%) and the Christmas season (19%). An interesting finding was the large percentage (30%) who spend their summer vacations in the provinces.

Street children generally stayed near their residences and rarely frequented areas far from their residence for security and sense of belongingness. Close family ties were further strengthened by respondents’ summer activities, with many of them spending summer vacation with their families in the provinces.

Street children generally stayed near their residences and rarely frequented areas far from their residence for security and sense of belongingness. Close family ties were further strengthened by respondents’ summer activities, with many of them spending summer vacation with their families in the provinces.

Peer Relations

The street children had from one to more than six friends. The single biggest group (29%) claimed having one or two friends. Still others reported having three to four friends (25.3%) or five to six friends (25.5%). A smaller percentage (19.7%) mentioned having more than six friends. Asked about their activities with friends, at least 72 percent  of these street children reported wholesome, safe and healthy outdoor activities. The more popular games mentioned by more than a fourth (26.7%) were “takyan“, “chinese garter“, “lukso“, and “tumba lata“. The second most popular activity was simply telling stories or swapping jokes, or taking walks together (23%). At least 15.5 percent were basketball-soccer fans while others enjoyed swimming and fishing (7.7%). Indoor activities were also reported like watching movies, betamax films, going to discos, studying, making assignments and hearing “mass”.  On the other hand, a number of respondents reported negative behavior  such as gambling (8 respondents) and drinking liquor (2 respondents), with one admitting that he was a bully.

The first three areas frequented by the respondents were the streets of Davao City (15%), recreation centers (12.8%) and market areas (11.2%). A cross tabulation by survey sites and areas frequented reveal that a high portion of the street children usually work and play in the same areas with their friends. For example, a large proportion of respondents in Sasa went to the wharf and airport, while those in the San Pedro-Magsaysay-Matina-Bankerohan areas frequented places where they coudl ply their trades, usually for carwashing, or as “watch-your-car” boys, or as itinerant vendors. On the other hand, Agdao respondents appeared to be an exception, usually visiting such recreations-specific sites as streetcorners, basketball courts, of neighborhoods with friends. In all six areas, almost half of the respondents (48.8%) reported spending at least two hours with friends, with a third (30.7%) spending from three to six hours.

Recreational Activities

Recreational activities are very important means of inculcating values of sportsmanship, for personality development, and preparations for ones’ roles as a future adult in society. The over-all picture of the respondents’ recreational activities shows that more than half (57.8%) engaged in children’s games like “taga-anay“, “tigso“, “tumba lata“, war games and hide-and seek. Other recreational activities were playing basketball (50.8%), movies (24%), billiard (19.8%) and others. While the activities mentioned were generally acceptable and healthy games and sports among children, the data likewise indicate that life in the streets had exposed them to vices. Gambling (16%) and drinking alcohol (7.8%) were also mentioned by respondents.

When respondents were asked about vices, close to a third (32.3%) mentioned either smoking, gambling and/or use of drugs. Among the respondents who had such habits, those engaged solely in gambling (48.8%) and those who both sampling and smoked (44.2%) predominated, with a much smaller group (7%) using illegal drugs. The use of drugs seemed to have included marijuana, rugby and gasoline.

To measure the economic cost of such practices, reveals that those who smoked (44.2%) were asked about their daily expenses for cigarettes. Close to a third (31.6%) reported spending less than P2.00 per day, while others (22.8% each) were given cigarettes by friends for free or spent from P2.00 to P15.00 daily for cigarettes.

Related literature show that habit formation and progression of a deviant career is reinforced by accessibility  to the means. Being given free cigarettes tend to be the first stage in the habit formation. As children developed the desire for smoking through constant experience, they also learned to spend a part of their earnings for cigarettes. This is not only observed among smokers but also among drug-users and gamblers.

Survey findings suggest more than half of the respondents who gambled were already hooked on gambling, with about 56.9 percent claiming that they gambled often. The others (37.5%) reported that they gambled either once a week, twice a month or even rarely. Given the significant proportion of these street children engaged in gambling in varying degrees, appropriate attention is clearly needed to curtail its effects on the other children on the streets.

Findings of the present study revealed that only 10.8 percent of the respondents claimed to belong to gangs, with the single biggest group (67.4%) ranging from 12 to 15 years old. The two youngest gang members were from eight and nine years old while the eldest (five street children) ranged from 16 to 17 years old.

Asked why they joined gangs, sixteen respondents (out of 43 gang members) commonly identified the need for protection or to have sense of security (37.2%). The other reasons cited included peer-influence (11.7%) with one mentioning his desire to bully other street children (2.3%). The gang names are suggestive  of the nature of the activities candidly undertaken by the group. Some of these were “Kat-Kat Bahay Gang“, “Strollers“, “Tunay na Standby“, “Kulata Gang“, “Apache Gang” and “Peacemakers“. Other names simply indicated the specific places where they converged like “Batang Lawaan” and “Osmeña Boys“. Most popularly mentioned were “Kat-kat Bahay Gang” (3), “Bad Company” (3), and “Tunay na Standby“.

A large percentage (30.2) of these gangs had more than 15 members each. They engaged in a variety of activities, ranging from the more high-risk types, which are detrimental to the socialization process of children, e.g. street brawls (11.6%) and bullying other street children (9.3%) to the more positive and healthy ones like work, disco-dancing and cooperative-type of pursuits (18.7%).

Streetlife generally poses risks to the personality of street children, e.g. possible bad influences of their peers. The present study, however, reveals some possible exceptions. Given the presence of groups who encourage cooperation among themselves  and who group together while working in the streets, presumably for mutual protection.

Arrest and Detention

The Association theory of deviancy explains how exposure to group behavior influences an individual’s action. Thus children learn about adult behavior through their association and experiences with adults. Set withing the context of the street children’s streetlife, their experiences of arrests and detention are likely to expose them to deviants and/or criminals. Opportunities for learning about certain deviant skills or illegal trades may take place during their detention and experiences with other offenders.

Asked whether they ever experienced arrests and detention, their responses show that the majority (77.20%) of those arrested  usually ranged 12 to 17 years old — particularly those in their early teens. 47.2 percent admitted that they have been arrested more than once and and almost equal percentage (47.1%) were arrested only once. These data indicate that a large percentage had the experience of being detained, with some being arrested often. Five of 7.1 percent had been arrested more than five times. The arrests were mainly made for offenses committed against property or theft (32.9%) and for curfew violations (27.1%) while the rest cited gambling (11.4%), participation in gang conflicts (10%), and illegal vending (5.7%). At least four street children were arrested for sniffing rugby.

Probing their experiences during detention, the children generally mentioned violence and torture-related incidentas e.g. being mauled (18.6%), whipped on outstretched arms (7.1%), hit with armalite butt (4.3%), hand pounded (4.3%), among others. About 10 percent, however, claimed that they did nit have any untoward experiences while being detained.

Asked whether they perceived any risks while staying in the streets, the majority answered in the affirmative (75.8%). The most commonly expressed risks included that of being run over by the passing vehicles (59.4%), being mauled by other street children (49.2%), of being implicated in crimes (44.6%), and being victimized by extortionists (37.3%). Others mentioned exposure to the changing weather conditions (18.2%). To a lesser degree, other risk mentioned were sex-related, i.e. being sexually exploited by homosexuals and pedophiles (17.5%), and being raped (13.5%). Appropriate 20 of the 34 respondents mentioned a more basic need, i.e. the need for shelter at night (6.6%).

To provide an empirical measure of their priorities in life, the respondents were asked to rank their needs according to priorities. The most commonly mentioned was financial, i.e. money for basic needs (71%) and for education (23.7%). The second was education (50%) and the third was a home (24.8%). More than half of the respondents (54.7%) were able to satisfy their basic needs and the rest claimed otherwise (45.3%).

Asked why such needs were not met, the absence or lack of money (67.4%) was frequently cited. To a lesser extent, others mentioned their father’s income as being inadequate (11%) or that their parents were unemployed (7.7%). On the whole, the reasons mentioned were basically related to the inability of parents to earn adequate income to meet the needs of their families. This is supported by the data on parents’ income; in both cases the incomes reported were below the poverty line.

Considering that the majority of these children generally stayed with their parents, they likewise perceived that their parents are responsible for their needs (37.3%). Interestingly, one notes that for some respondents, mothers (29.2%) – more than fathers (7%) – were perceived to assume such responsibilities. On the whole, the survey findings reveal the strong kinship bonds of the respondents. The respondents also show their attachment to their kin groups. More than half 59 percent mentioned their relatives as being likewise responsible for their needs.

Values, Aspirations and Opinions

This section presents the street children’s perception of their present situation, their reasons for being happy or unhappy with their present situation, what they plan to do to achieve their aspirations, and their perceptions of the ideal situation for street children. To solicit the street children’s perceptions of their present situation, they were asked about being “happy” or “unhappy” with it. While the majority (76%) of the respondents perceived their situation on a positive note and reported that they were “happy”, at least 96 children (24%) claimed otherwise.

The reasons cited for being unhappy by at least 96 street children (38.5%) were mainly economic in nature, e.g. no money to satisfy one’s needs, no school fees and respondents and parent’s limited income. Other reasons were family-related (15.6%), e.g. separation of parents and abandonment by parents and job-related (13.5%) like exhausting work and inability to study one’s lessons in the work place. Reasons relating to the personal and the family lives focused on parental separation and their being unable to pursue their studies, among others.

Respondents were also about their plans for the next five years. Education received the highest ranking, with more than two-thirds (68.5%) of the respondents desiring to continue or finish their studies and a limited group (3.5%) wanting to work while studying. Seventy-four (74) street children expressed their desire to work full time while at least seven respondents (1.8%) plan to engage in small-time business. Fifteen either failed to give responses or did not have any plans at all.

How would these street children attempt to achieve their aspiration, what means of opportunities are available to them so  that their aspirations would  turn into realities? A significant majority  (60.2%) agreed that they would have to study hard in order to achieve their goals, while more than a fourth (26.8%)cited the need to work hard. Twenty-six (26) respondents (6.5%) mentioned that they would both work and study hard while others identified the need to save money or seek assistance from government agencies.

Respondents were asked to rank their preferences for their work of study based on three categories, i.e to study full time, to work full time, or to study and work. Given these three choices, more than half (55%) of these street children preferred to study and work at the same time while 40.7 percent chose to study full-time. Only 4.3 percent of the respondents like to work full-time. A highly significant group of these street children desired a high level of education, with 88 percent aspiring to finish college. The rest either hoped to finish high school (8.5%), their elementary education (1%) or to take up a vocational course.

Asked about their job preferences in the future, the respondents’ choices were varied (Table 72). On the whole, 51 percent chose white-collar jobs,  21.8 percent blue collar jobs, 11.3 percent vocational/technical and mechanical jobs, and 9.5 percent manual jobs. Among the more populat choices for white collar jobs were: nursing, medical doctor, office employee, army/military/policeman, and engineering. Preferred blue coller jobs were: salesgirl, waitress, driver/conductor and security guard. Vocational/technical/mechanical job choices were that of radio operator. Manual jobs mentioned were: construction worker/carpenter and porter.

Respondents were asked their reasons for preferring such occupations in the future. More than half (59.5%) preferred such occupations because they perceived these occupations are available and offer better-pay, it can help their parents and relatives (12.5%), the sick and the needy (7.5%), and help educate people (4.5%), among others. The data further indicated that while more than half of the respondents (59.5%) preferred these occupations as a means to alleviate their poor situation, less than a fourth (24.5%) were to consider these occupations as a means of helping others.

Given a choice, would these children desire to get out of the streets or simply continue such mode of existence? Survey findings revealed that the respondents were closely split in their responses, with 47.8 percent desiring to end their street life and 46 percent preferring to continue living in the streets. Asked why they (184 respondents) preferred to stay on the streets, the most common reason mentioned was economic in nature. Living in the streets meant being able to earn money (66.3%), thus having a daily income for one’s schooling needs and subsistence. It also meant being able to augment the family income, and in this way to help the family (15.2%) and supplement inadequate income of parents (2.7%). To a limited extent – though quite meaningful – thirteen respondents (7.1%) indicated their happiness being among friends in the streets.

Their perceptions regarding the ideal situation for street children were mainly centered on themselves e.g. satisfaction of their needs (63.2%) such as attending school full time (53.2%), being able to study (6%) and, being able to play (4%). The respondents likewise mentioned such ideal situations as receiving parental guidance (7.5%), living with parents (5%), and helping with household chores (2.8%). Only 5 percent reported that street children must seek assistance from government agencies.

Awareness and Experience in Street Children Institutions

This section presents the respondent’s knowledge and awareness of institutions that deal with street children, i.e. whether the respondents were ever referred to such institutions, the type of institutions they were referred to, whether they had availed of institutional services, and the type of services availed of.

Survey responses revealed that nearly two-thirds (62.5%) of the respondents had no knowledge of these institutions at all. The rest (37.5%) claimed to know about such agencies. The 150 respondents who professed knowledge about these institutions for street children were asked whether they had ever been referred to such agencies. Approximately a fourth of the group (26.7%) admitted having been referred to such institutions while the greater majority (73.3%) claimed otherwise.

The forty (40) respondents who claimed that they were referred to such institutions were asked to describe these insitutions. Two types were generally identified by these respondents, namely the drop-in centers (67.5%) and the temporary shelter-type (32.5%). Drop in centers refers to those institutions which cater to street children who simply drop in for their meals, bath and brief rest. The temporary shelters cover those institutions which rehabilitate street children for longer periods of time.

All respondents were asked whether they had availed of services from other agencies. Forty percent had availed of services from other agencies while 60 percent had not availed of my services.

Summary and Recommendations

The major research findings, briefly stated, are as follows:

1. Socio-Demographic Background

a. Of the total 400 respondents, males predominated (76%) over the females (24%). The respondents’ ranged from 5 to 18 years old with mean age computed at 12 years.

b. The respondents ranged from preparatory school to college undergraduate. The majority (324) were in-school while 76 were out-of-school.

c. Of those currently enrolled, more than a third (35%) are in high school, another third (34%) were in grade 1-4, and a limited group (1.2%) were in college.

d. Of the school drop-outs, 35 percent attended the grade 5- 6 level, 31.6 percent grade 1-4 and 18.4 percent had some high school education. Three percent had no schooling at all.

e. The majority of the respondents can read and write.

f. Poverty was cited as the major reason for a greater number of respondents foregoing their education. A number of them were either pre-occupied with their earning a living or simply lacked interest in studying. A few others were run-aways or were not allowed to go back to school by their parents. Still others either fell into the bad influences of the “barkada” or were ashamed to resume their studies because of age.

2. Economic Activities

a. Generally, the street children of Davao City had only one type of work. There were a few who were engaged in two of three different livelihood activities. Vending or peddling in markets place, supermarkets, shopping centers or terminals was the most common means of livelihood. A number also worked as carwashers/carwatchers in the same places. Other livelihood activities undertaken were scavenging, shining shoes, stevedoring, collecting garbage and a host of other odd jobs that would provide them their daily meals.

b. The majority of the vendors, scavengers and shoeshine boys worked the whole day after school. Most carwashers/carwatchers worked in the afternoon till late in the evening.

c. Monthly earnings of these street children ranged from a little less than P500.00 to slightly over P1,500.00. The family’s tight financial condition served as the single major reason their efforts at for earning a living. A few mentioned parental deaths, separation and unemployment.

d. More than half of the respondents were expected to hand in their daily, weekly and weekend earnings to their parents. The majority voluntarily gave money to their families. The amount of money given ranged from a minimum of P1.00 daily to as such as P15.00 and above. If there were other persons given money by these children, they were usually their friends.

e. A little more than 70 percent of the respondents claimed they were satisfied with their present means of subsistence while 27.1 percent reported otherwise.

3. Family Background

a. These street children’s parents were largely employed in low-paying jobs. A large percentage of their fathers were engaged in blue-collar, mechanical/technical and manual occupations. Close to one-fifth (17%) of these children reported their fathers as unemployed.

Their mothers were usually in household services or in vending/peddling.

b. Father’s earnings ranged from P500.00 – P1,000.00 monthly while the mothers’ income was P1,000.00 and below.

c. More than half of the respondents had siblings also engaged in ambulant vending, carwatching/carwashing, scavenging, etc.

d. More than 90 percent of the respondents went home to their families after work. Some went home only occasionally because of the high cost of travel and disharmonious relations with family members. A Few did not have homes to go home to.

e. The majority of the respondents were living with their families. The few who did not stay or live with their parents, particularly those whose parents were either deceased or separated, lived instead with grandparents, uncles and aunties.

f. Asking about family conflicts, the children admitted that these were often caused by their failure to perform family obligations and conform to family norms. The children were either scolded or received physical punishment.

4. Health and Nutrition

a. The majority fell below the standards set by the Department of Health for height, while 37.7 percent fell within them.

b. More than 60  percent were slim, 22.3 percent medium built, 13 percent skinny, and 1 percent stout.

c. Most ate three meals a day. Meals consisted of cheap sources of carbohydrates, vitamins and proteins.

d. More than 50 percent had at least eight hours of sleep and 15.8 percent less than 8 hours.

e. Ninety percent slept at home, 13.5 percent in a center of street children and 2.5 percent on sidewalks.

f. Most common complaints relating to the health of the street children were upper respiratory and gastro-intestinal ailments. Flu and skin diseases were also common.

g. Most respondents reported that whenever they got sick, their mothers usually took care of them. A few mentioned street educators, medical doctors and other relatives.

h. Public toilets, including those in schools, hospitals, supermarkets, or the back of buildings were used by the children while in the streets. Rivers and creeks were also used by those working close to these areas.

5. Spatial Movement

a. While sixty-six percent were local residents, approximately a third were migrants mainly from other provinces in Mindanao (27.5%), with at least 4.8 percent coming from the Visayas and Luzon.

b. Sixty-three percent started street life between the ages 6-10 years old.

c. The street children were not very mobile. Eighty-five percent had frequented only one or two places, while 48 percent had only frequented two places for at least 12-48 months.

d. Usual “hangouts” or “territories” were shopping centers, market places, terminals, 100 supermarkets of vendors peddlers, carwashers/carwatchers and shoeshine boys.

6. Experience on the Street

a. Seventy-six percent of the respondents perceived life as risky and hazardous, perceiving such risks as possible vehicular accidents and sexual, physical and financial exploitations.

7. Needs

a. Money for basic needs and access to education were the two most important needs of the street children. Some also expressed  their desire to go back to their families and be protected from all forms of exploitation in the streets.

b. Fifty-four percent felt their needs were met while 45 percent felt they were not met.

8. Peer Relations

a. A Street child usually had friends ranged from one to more than six friends.

b. Activities with friends included wholesome, safe and healthy indoor and outdoor activities. Popular among the males were ball games and swimming. These were often done in nearby courts and open spaces in the community or in areas close to work. Very few deviant-type of activities were mentioned.

c. Majority reported that their common activities consisted of healthy games and sports. A few, however, reported smoking, drinking, and gambling.

9. Gang Membership

a. Of the 400 respondents, only 10.8 percent were members of a gang. Their ages ranged from 12-15 years old. Among the more popular reasons for joining gangs were protection and the sense of security gangs provided including the opportunity to bully other street children.

b. Seventy respondents admitted having been arrested and detained. The frequency of arrests ranged from one to more than five times. During detention, 90 percent of the respondents reported receiving physical and mental/psychological punishments, ranging from the mild to the severe ones. Most arrests were due to curfew violations and suspicion of theft.

10. Values and Aspirations

a. Seventy-six percent were happy with their present situation while twenty-four percent claimed the opposite. Reasons cited for being happy were predominantly family-oriented in nature. Reasons given for being unhappy likewise focused on the non-provision of personal and family needs.

b. Fifty percent desired to continue or finish schooling. Nineteen percent would like to work full-time and 3.5 percent preferred to work while studying. Furthermore, the majority of the respondents believed that studying and working very hard would greatly help in achieving their aspirations, not to mention assistance from government agencies and saving for the future.

c. As their work in the streets has served as their primary source of income, these pursuits would thus continue to help them achieve their goals in life. Because of the economic rewards of street life, close to half of the respondents still preferred to stay on the streets. However, if there were less exhausting, safer and better opportunities, respondents would rather stay otu of the streets because of the risks and hazards.

d. If given the choice, the respondents’ strongest desire was to earn a degree. to make this possible, more than half were willing to study  and work at the same time. This goal was reflected in the respondents’ preference for white collar jobs over manual/mechanical/technical ones.It also reflected the street child’s desire to help in his siblings’ education, to find a stable, better paying and lighter work, and to be of service to his community.

11. Awareness of Institutions for Street Children

a. Two-thirds of the respondents had no knowledge of any institutions for street children. Among those (37.5% or 150 respondents) who professed knowledge of institutions for street children, a fourth admitted having been referred to such institutions while the rest claimed otherwise.

b. Two types of institutions were generally identified by the forty (40)respondents referred to such institutions, namely the drop-in centers (67.5%) and the temporary shelter-type (32.5%).

c. Of the 400 respondents, 40 percent had availed of services from other agencies while 60 percent reported they had not. Among these services, education (38.1%), food (31.3%) and clothing (30.6%) were the most common services availed by the respondents.

Recommendations

In the light of the foregoing findings, the following recommendations are proposed:

A. Policy

1. NGOs’ and GO’s should be able to coordinate well with the police to come up with guidelines and policies regarding the protection of the children in the street.

The children interviewed have reported security as a problem in the streets , specifically security from other street children and from police actions. There must be a better way of dealing with children who have been involved in theft and other deviant acts. They should not be given the chance to become criminals by associating with other criminals in the street or in any detention  center.

2. The DECS, together with the other agencies concerned with educating the street children, should be able to design programs and policies to help street children who desire to complete their education. Many of them expressed their desire to become doctors, nurses, teachers and employees in other white collar occupations. Their education should not be limited to free tuition fees. Serious thought should be given to finding a way so that street children who want to attain higher education do not have to earn a living in the streets to be able to support themselves and do not have to worry about financial assistance from other agencies.

3. The government should also provide policies that would institutionalize alternative types of education that would cater to children who have difficulty submitting to formal educational structures.

Some considerations are literacy and numeracy, value formation, manpower development and employment needs.

4. The root cause of the proliferation of children in the streets of Davao City is poverty. Many parents have no or insufficient work and so children have been forced to go to the streets. Policies on the encouragement of cooperatives and private enterprises utilizing the unemployed or underemployed in depressed communities may be helpful. However, the program should also take into consideration manpower training programs to provide street children the appropriate skills. Better economic strategies should be considered to generate more employment. Respondents revealed that their parents have low income since most of their occupations are low paying.

B. Research

1. On the average, the respondents were 12 years old and  had at least some education. They are potential manpower resources of our country who need to be polished and enriched. Some strategies must be used to make them more productive. However, a study on their willingness to be developed, to organize into cooperatives, their leadership capabilities and their productive potentials must be looked into for policy and action.

2. It is also worthwhile to evaluate the educational programs that have= been introduces by the GOs and NGOs. Have they contributed to the education of street children? What are the strengths and limitations of such programs? Cost benefit analysis of such programs needs to be undertaken.

3. The street children are basically community based. They live with their families at the end of the day and parents exercise control over their children. Given this background, a study on the attitude of parents towards their children’s future their role in shaping their future and their willingness to get involved in community endeavors would be worthwhile looking into. Are they receptive to a participatory approach to community development? Are they willing to volunteer their time in such undertakings? What are their attitudes towards cooperatives? What problems do they foresee with such an approach? This study will provide the program implementors insights on the strategies to utilize in assisting communities where street children proliferate.

C. Action

1. A Multidisciplinary team consisting of all the agencies involved with street children should be called to assess the program and policies on street children in Davao City. This would clarify the framework which government and the private sector should work on to respond to the needs of street children.

Appendix
[Refer to the PDF File]
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