Child domestic workers in the PhilippinesIntroduction“I get up at 3 a.m. to water the plants, clean the house, go to the market, cook, wash the plates, wash the clothes, iron the clothes. I go back to the market three times a day. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., they allow me to go to school. When I return, I have to do the dishes, then I massage my employer and my wife until 1 a.m. I only have two hours to sleep. This is how a young girl from Buikidnon, Philippines, described her experience of child labor to researchers at Anti-Slavery International. She is a former child domestic worker who began working as a servant at the age of nine, suffering abuse from her employer. Children are considered the future of our countries, with their own rights, particularly to education. However, as this story shows, this is simply not the case everywhere. As we live in the 21st century, many people simply assume that slavery is a thing of the past, especially child labor, but as you will see, this is far from the truth. According to Anti-Slavery International, a child domestic worker is defined as any person under the age of eighteen who works in households other than their own, performing domestic tasks, caring for children, tending the garden, doing running errands and helping her employers run their small businesses, among other tasks. It is almost impossible for these children to assert their own rights, instead they are exploited and their freedom is taken away from them. The Victims Although there are many reasons why children enter the world of domestic work, the main reason always seems to come back to the fact that they need to support themselves and their family financially and no education or qualifications are required. Children will also...... middle of document......13/953399/10.5-m-kids-slave-conditions-domestic-servants [Accessed December 5, 2013]. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (2013). Working children. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/strengthening-education-systems/inclusive-education/child-workers/ [Accessed: December 6, 2013].Department of States -United America Labor (nd). Findings on the worst forms of child labor - Philippines. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.dol.gov/ilab/reports/child-labor/philippines.htm [Accessed: December 7, 2013].Unknown. (2013). Untitled. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_184096/lang--en/index.htm [Accessed: December 12, 2013].Visayan Forum Foundation Inc. (nd). About Us. [online] Retrieved from: http://www.visayanforum.org/portal/index.php?option=cms&id=21#sthash.hvH1t6Cj [Accessed December 6 2013].