Background 
Footwear manufacturing is one of the industries of Biñan, Laguna particularly in the Barangay of De La Paz.  Majority of the shoe production industry is done in households with the entire family usually involved in the work.  This type of "informal sector" setting predominates (85% of household in the barangays are into footwear production) although several large shoe-manufacturing establishments also exist. 

Methodology
Initial health assessment of child workers was done on February 15-16, 2001. Teams from the OSHC visited Purok 4 and 5 of Barangay De la Paz in Biñan, Laguna to conduct an evaluation of 14 pre-selected workplaces in the area. At the same time, a medical team interviewed and examined 93 working children.  Hematology, serum biochemistry (alkaline phosphatase, serum aspartate aminotransferase, serum alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine), urinalysis, radiology, organic solvent metabolite concentration and physical examinations were done. 

Results
The interviews gave the socio-demographic profile of the working children.  93 children were examined (53% males and 47% females). The children’s ages ranged from 5 to 17 years old with 47% between the ages of 11 and 15 years old. 83% of the children attended school, 56% were in the elementary level.  

The symptoms most often experienced over the course of their work were forgetfulness, headache, fatigue and irritability. The symptoms sometimes experienced were headache, dizziness, fatigue, irritability, nausea, forgetfulness, dry skin, drowsiness, shortness of breath, heaviness, lightheadedness, chest tightness, nasal irritation, skin rashes, vomiting and eye strain. 

Laboratory examinations revealed that one respondent manifested with low hemoglobin. For the blood chemistry examinations, 17 children were found to have significantly elevated values of alkaline phosphatase which could be attributable to possible liver disease or to nutritional problems.

Urinalysis revealed 4 children with protein in the urine, which can be related to possible renal disease, dehydration or nutritional deficiency.  The urine samples were tested for the presence of the metabolites of organic solvents, namely hippuric acid and methyl hippuric acids. The results were within accepted reference limits.  Chest x-rays results revealed 9 children have pneumonitis of one or both lower lung lobes. On physical examination, 33 children were found to have cervical lymphadenopathy, indicating an on going bacterial or viral infection of the upper respiratory tract.

Recommendations
The OSHC recommended that the proprietors of these workplaces and/or their managers be given instruction on basic occupational safety and health. Furthermore, attention must be given to the nutritional needs of the children who work in these workplaces as childhood a phase in everyone’s life, which is marked by much physical, mental as well as emotional development.