Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho will tackle children's rights on April 18

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 children's beauty pageant was recently held, several girls were willing to sacrifice health and safety to win the crown. Exhaustion, lack of sleep, risky acts such as belly dancing barefoot upon shards of glass— these were just some of sacrifices the young girls had to go through.

In the mountains of Montalban, Rizal, minors carry the weight of poverty upon their backs. These children take a three-hour treacherous hike to the town, carrying with them heavy sacks of fresh produce, charcoal, and firewood which are sold in the market.

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 to uplift the condition of Filipino children has produced positive results. Chris, 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 broadcast journalist Jessica Soho this Saturday, April 18, as she takes a closer look at the plight of some of our youth today on the GMA-7 show Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho.