MANILA, Philippines — Poor Filipino children continue to dream of becoming teachers, nurses, engineers, doctors, police officers, and military officers despite economic disadvantage, according to a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
In the study titled "Dreams and Small Means: Career Aspirations of Children in the Philippine 4Ps Program,” nearly half, or 47.3 percent of respondents aspired to professional occupations, while 29.2 percent hoped to enter service and sales occupations.
Meanwhile, only a small fraction expressed interest in agricultural work (0.3 percent) or elementary occupations (0.4 percent), even though many of their parents currently work in these sectors.
The findings by the researchers suggest that disadvantaged children were not lacking in ambition, and that many aspire to occupations associated with higher income, professional status, and greater opportunities.
The study also found that children enrolled in the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) and those from non-beneficiary households shared similarly high ambitions for their future careers, reflecting strong hopes for upward mobility across both groups.
The study, authored by Kris Ann Melad, Michael Abrigo, Douglas Diola, and Centene Pablo, examined the future career goals of nearly 10,000 children and young adults aged 10 to 25 from economically disadvantaged households across the country.
