Kesz : Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho Special

In the face of the struggle for Philippine independence, Dr. Jose P. Rizal believed that the future of the country lies in its youth. But if he were alive today, witnessing the struggles of our children, would he still have the same conviction?

In a town where a childrens beauty pageant was recently held, several girls were willing to sacrifice health and safety to win the crown. In the mountains of Montalban, Rizal, minors carry the weight of poverty upon their backs. There are more than two million cases of child labor in the Philippines today. The country, still struggling with poverty, is still a long way off to ending child labor.

However, all is not lost. The perseverance of non government agencies like Dynamic Teen Company to uplift the condition of Filipino children has produced positive results. Cris, for example, used to be a scavenger. The cart he once used to carry waste materials is now loaded with blackboards, chalks, and books. At a young age, he teaches his fellow street children school lessons under the Kariton Klasrum" program.

Join multi award-winning journalist Jessica Soho as she takes a closer look at the plight of some of our youth today, on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.