The growing threat to the physical, psycho-social and economic well-being of children involved in deep-sea fishing makes it imperative for people and organizations working for the welfare of children to gain basic knowledge of their family background, the incidence, the nature and the extent of children's participation particularly in paaling fishing. This baseline survey basically gathered socio-demographic characteristics of households in the towns of Ayungon, Bindoy, Tanjay, Pamlona, Sibulan, Siaton, and Bayawan of Negros Oriental with children previously or currently involved in paaling fishing. Both parents and these children were the respondents of interviews using structured interview schedule. A total of 133 households and 84 children (who were currently or previously employed in paaling fishing when they were yet below 18 years old) were interviewed. The study found out that majority of these households were located in the hinterlands rather than in the coastal areas. Recruitment in the coastal areas may have been more difficult because illegal employment of children in deep-sea fishing is already strictly imposed. The poverty experienced by households in the hinterlands and with the absence of better economic alternatives made them easily lured by the cash advances given by recruiters. The children who despite of the bad experiences in paaling fishing: physically, socially, psychologically, and economically have to contend themselves with the reality of poverty in their homes and their hinterland communities. Those who already stopped and those who planned to detach themselves from paaling fishing need reinforcement to help them pursue better alternatives in life in consonance to their aspirations. Incidentally, the study found out that their families and the children themselves did not experience any government assistance that would draw them out from this type of hazardous employment during the period of the survey.
