Using the definition of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), “a child means
every human being below the age of eighteen” who are likewise needing protection
against all forms of discrimination. Under the Convention, the parents have the moral
obligation and responsibilities for the upbringing and development of the children.
The gravity of the impact of migration on children varies depending on their situation.
Children affected by migration can be categorized in the following – (a) children as
migrants, (b) children of inter-racial marriages or relations, and (c) children left behind
by migrant parents.6
More than three thousand Filipino workers leave the country everyday as overseas
contract workers7
, hence “transnational family has become a norm in the Philippines.
There really is no exact data on the number of children affected by migration but based
on several studies done by nongovernmental organizations and local government
organizations in Manila, there are approximately 9 million Filipino children under the age
of 18 who are left behind by one or both parents to work tentatively or live permanently
abroad.