Extent of Factors Contributing to Child Labor in Mati City

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which factors contribute to child labor in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental. Using a quantitative research design, the researcher employed a descriptive method with one hundred ten (110) children as respondents. This study utilized statistical tools, including percentages, frequency counts, means, and ANOVA, to analyze the data. The findings revealed that children under child labor in Mati City were mainly males. Most of the children under child labor in the Mati City were not attending school and had not received any formal education. They lived under the total custody of their parents, who had a large family (4 to 12 children) and earned a modest income (P5,000.00 to P7,000.00) per month, and were predominantly Roman Catholic. It was found that the factors contributing to child labor in Mati City include low income, lack of education, cultural issues, and unemployment. The data gathered revealed that there was no significant difference in the extent of contribution to child labor among the said factors when analyzed by gender, age, educational level, educational background, and household income. There was a significant difference in the factor of employment when analyzed by household size and guardian, and education when analyzed by gender, age, educational background, and educational level. The most significant factor contributing to child labor was income. The researchers recommend conducting similar studies that involve a wider range of randomly selected children to determine other possible strong factors associated with child labor.