Parents’ perceptions of child labor in an indigenous community in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Introduction Child labor remains a complex, multidimensional challenge in Indigenous and geographically isolated island communities in the Philippines. While much of the existing literature focuses on quantitative economic metrics or direct child self-reports, this study explores how parents and community leaders in Tawi-Tawi navigate, perceive, and make sense of the contextual barriers surrounding child labor and its multifaceted developmental impacts. Methodology This qualitative study employed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore parents’ perceptions of child labor in Tawi-Tawi. Seven parents of children engaged in child labor were selected through purposive homogeneous sampling. Face-to-face, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted in participants’ preferred languages (Sama, Tausug, or Filipino), each lasting 45–60 min. Data were analyzed using a multi-stage IPA framework, moving from individual case analysis to cross-case group experiential themes. Rigor and trustworthiness were maintained using established qualitative quality criteria. Reporting followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) checklist and the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). Findings The study revealed 10 Group Experiential Themes (GETs) structured across two main domains: (1) Contextual Barriers to Combating Child, encompassing economic instability, relational obligations and intergenerational transmission, cultural normalization and moral duty, and institutional absence and geographical disconnect; and (2) Multifaceted Perceived Influences, highlighting observed physical wellbeing and environmental hazards, psychological trauma, invisible wounds, and parental helplessness, educational disruptions reinforcing intergenerational disadvantage and social marginalization, resilient coping, and persistent hope. Interpreted through Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological System Theory, the findings demonstrate that child labor in Tawi-Tawi is driven by intersecting microsystemic poverty, mesosystemic educational disconnection, exosystemic enforcement gaps across fragmented archipelagic jurisdictions, and macrosystemic cultural traditions including the prevalence of early marriage accumulating across the chronosystem. Implications This study underscores that child labor in remote area settings is not merely an economic decision but a deeply contextualized survival response. Recommendations emphasize decentralized, island-tailored public health initiatives, safe maritime educational access, targeted adult livelihood support, and community-based child protection mechanisms.