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| Photo from Inquirer.net |
Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on President Ferdinand
Marcos Jr. to ensure that tomorrow's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA)
does not become a "SONAkakahiya"—a play on words meaning an
embarrassing SONA—by presenting both immediate and long-term solutions to the
cost-of-living crisis confronting workers and the majority of Filipinos.
According to PM Chairperson Renato Magtubo, the
government's priorities should include certifying as urgent the proposed P200
legislated wage hike and the National Minimum Wage Act, both of which are
currently pending in Congress. He also called for a review of the Oil
Deregulation Law, the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), and the
Value-Added Tax (VAT), as well as launching reforms that would genuinely ease
the economic burden on Filipino families.
"It would be SONAkakahiya to boast tomorrow that
the Philippines has reached the World Bank's upper middle-income country (UMIC)
status when workers do not feel its benefits in their daily lives,"
Magtubo said.
The labor leader, who now serves as a councilor in
Marikina City, added that even the P85 wage increase granted in Metro
Manila—which Malacañang described as "historic"—will simply end up
paying higher Meralco electricity bills, as the country's electricity rates
have now become even higher than Singapore's.
Magtubo also pointed to the latest Pulse Asia survey,
which showed that while Filipinos primarily want to hear about the results of
the government's anti-corruption campaign, a greater number of the issues they
expect President Marcos to address concern prices, wages, jobs, poverty, and
other economic concerns.
"It would truly be SONAkakahiya if nothing is
said about these issues in tomorrow's SONA," Magtubo stressed.
The group also noted that although the same survey
showed relatively low public interest (1.2%) in the impeachment trial of Vice
President Sara Duterte, this merely reflects the public's desire to see all
corrupt officials held accountable—including members of the Duterte and Marcos
families, as well as other political dynasties. This, they said, is precisely
what is reflected in the much higher public interest (29.8%) in the
government's anti-corruption campaign.
"It would also be SONAkakahiya to boast about an
anti-corruption campaign if it is ‘makapili’ or selective," Magtubo
concluded.
Tomorrow, Partido Manggagawa will participate in the
State of Labor Address (SOLA) to be held at the TUCP Compound under the
leadership of the National Wage Coalition and the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition. The
event will present the situation of Filipino workers and their demands amid the
worsening cost-of-living crisis. It will be followed by a program and a march
at the Elliptical Circle and along Commonwealth Avenue.
PRESS RELEASE
Partido Manggagawa
26 July 2026
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