Summary
Highlights
The documentary opens with scenes of child laborers, including 12-year-old Udong, waking up early to begin their arduous journey to the sugar cane plantations. They travel long distances from Batangas and Pampanga, often inside cramped container vans, to reach the fields in Antique and Aklan. The children's faces reflect the difficult life they are about to face.
Udong and other children work tirelessly in the sugar cane fields, often doing tasks typically meant for adults. Udong explains that he works to earn money for basic necessities like rice. Despite his young age, he takes on responsibilities that his father, who is getting older, can no longer handle alone. The children express weariness, but they continue to work due to the pressing needs of their families.
The working conditions are extreme. The children face dangers from the sharp canes, heat exhaustion, and long hours. They spend 12 hours working before returning to their temporary shelters. Udong also mentions the fear of being seen by authorities, which forces them to stay hidden in the container vans even when it's hot, highlighting the illegal nature of their labor and the constant threat of discovery.
The documentary reveals the exploitative system in place. The workers, including the children, often incur debt even before they start working, known as 'cash advances.' These advances include purchases from the plantation owner's cooperative store, where prices are inflated. Their earnings are then deducted to cover these debts, making it nearly impossible to save money and trapping them in a continuous cycle of indebtedness.
After months of toil, the harvest finally ends. This day is usually celebrated, as it brings the promise of payment. Udong carefully protects his earnings, dreaming of buying new clothes and shoes. However, these hopes are often dashed as their wages are primarily used to pay off accumulated debts, leaving them with little to nothing for their personal desires.
The workers' payslips show that after deducting cash advances, many are left with very little or even negative balances. Udong's case is a stark example: despite earning a certain amount, a significant portion goes to debt, and he ends up with limited funds. The film highlights how this cycle prevents them from escaping poverty and securing a better future.
Udong's dream of buying a TV for his family remains unfulfilled because his earnings barely cover their debts. To add to their struggles, Udong’s mother gives birth to another child, increasing the family's financial burden. This event underscores the never-ending cycle of poverty and the additional mouths to feed, which pushes more children into labor.
Udong eventually returns home, but the documentary raises critical questions about the future of these child laborers. It emphasizes that as long as employers accept child workers and parents are compelled to send their children to work due to poverty and lack of other opportunities, child labor will persist. The film concludes by asserting that without respect for children's rights, their childhood will be lost to forced labor.