Crimes and labor violations committed against women workers in POGO – labor group

Photo by Rappler

How fugitives walkaway ‘freely’ from China, slip into the country with the same ease under the pastillas scheme, and land into a legitimized POGO industry, pose a major concern for women in particular, and for the country in general. 

The Partido Manggagawa (PM) aired this warning in reaction to a recent Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation’ (PAGCOR) report aired over the media that over 2,000 Chinese nationals who work for Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGO) have been deported after authorities discovered they have criminal records in China. 

“Nakakalula,” lamented PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda after learning about the report that of the 70,000 POGO workers in the country, 2,000 fugitives were deported back to China since January 15 after having been found to have criminal records in the mainland. 

“That’s 3 fugitives out of 10. Imagine that kind of ratio when linked to the consequent rise in crime incidents related to POGO operations in the country. That connects the dots. Numbers don’t lie,” said Miranda. 

Miranda pointed out that protection of women workers, Filipino or otherwise, should be treated as a major concern in the country after a Taiwanese POGO worker recently complained of sexual harassment in her workplace. She’s also a victim of human trafficking. 

“Likewise, our law enforcers always point to Chinese nationals whenever drug bust operations or raids on sex dens were conducted.  So whether they are linked or not, the Philippine government must press itself in knowing the facts and employ corrective measures thereafter,” argued Miranda. 

POGO operations in the country have come under close scrutiny in the continuing Senate hearings led by Senator Risa Hontiveros.  

Senator Gordon, on the other hand, raised the possibility of POGO operations being used in money laundering after the Bureau of Customs reported that millions of dollars were brought into the country in bulk by suspected gaming operators. 

The labor department, meanwhile, revealed that some 4,000 POGO workers in the country carry the same TIN number. 

“If all these reports are true then our women, even our children, are at risk of becoming victims of crimes associated with gambling and other illicit activities,” said Miranda, adding that POGO operations in the country has been blamed for the rise of prostitution and sex trafficking of both Chinese and Filipino women. 

Once such measure, Miranda said, is to stop all POGO operations in the country, replace this industry with investments in real economy, strengthen our border security with immediate reforms in the Bureau of Immigration, and compel China to do the same as regards the illegal or criminal activities of their citizens. 

Women workers are celebrating the Women’s Month by pressing more protection mechanisms for women against violence, mass layoffs, trade union repression, high prices, among others. On March 8, women members of PM and other groups are holding a creative action in Timog Circle from 8 to 10 am in Timog Circle before marching from Morayta to LRT Carriedo for a salubungan with the Gabriela contingent. Last Tuesday, women workers picketed the DOLE main office and had a dialogue with labor officials on women's rights issues in the ecozones.

05 March 2020

Women labor leaders urge Congress to pass the 100-Day Expanded Maternity Leave bill

Women labor leaders are urging the leadership and members of House of Representatives to pass the Expanded Maternity Leave (EML) bill before the Women’s Month ends and Congress goes on recess on March 22.

"It's about time that women workers enjoy this rightful benefit,” declared Judy Ann Miranda, Nagkaisa-Women spokesperson. 

Miranda, who is also the Secretary-General of Partido Manggagawa (PM), explained that the Philippines lags behind its ASEAN neighbors when it comes to protecting its mothers and their children. 

Vietnam provides 120-180 days of maternity leave depending on the working conditions and nature of work. Singapore provides 112 days while Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand surpassed ours with 84 days of paid maternity leave.   Likewise, a minimum of 98 days is prescribed under Convention 183 of the International Labor Organization (ILO). 

“Our current maternity leave law provides only for a 60-day leave which is inadequate and not even at par with international and regional standards,” said Miranda. 

The last time the number of paid maternity leave days was adjusted was in 1992. “The 100-day EML is therefore an improvement to say the least but women workers will never forget the fact that for over a quarter of a century, they were denied this necessary adjustment,” added Miranda. 

For Jessica de Ocampo of Workers4EML and Secretary-General of the Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. Labor Union (PMFTCLU), working mothers need to spend more TIME with their children to ensure that they receive optimum care. 

“Infants during the first six months of their lives should be fed with breast milk exclusively but the present law provides only for 60 days of maternity leave for normal delivery and 78 days for those who have undergone Caesarian operations. As it is, women workers are being asked to report back to work between two months or two and a half months from delivery,” said Ocampo. 

Reporting back to work that early, according to Ocampo, puts the health of mothers at risk and lessens the chances of working mothers to exclusively feed their children with breast milk. 

The proposed legislation also provides women with more relief in taking care of their babies in their first few months since even without an additional paternity leave, women can apportion some of their 100 days EML to their husband, partners or any other kin who would help them take care of their child. 

"Over the past decades, more and more women have entered the labor force. Yet as they take on more paid work, their reproductive and domestic role as primary care providers for their children and the rest of the family has not changed. This proposal is progressive as women will be able to share the responsibility of infant care with their significant other or relative,” said Ocampo.

Furthermore, according to Annie Geron, President of the Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLink), more than half of public sector employees are women and they are predominant in essential care and social services like health and education. 

“Amid the rising expectations and mounting needs of the public for women workforce in frontline services, the EML will now ensure the health and well being of our women workers to enable them to deliver quality public services. EML is long over due and it is a just social investment not only for women but also for the present and future generation,” said Geron. 

Finally, the Nagkaisa! Labor coalition expressed appreciation on the efforts of Congresswoman Bernadette Herrera Dy, chairperson of the Committee on Women and Gender Equality and for the authors of the said bill for their commitment to have the bill passed. 

The group now urges the House leadership to ensure its passage before they go into a Lenten break week.

PRESS RELEASE

Nagkaisa! and Workers4EML

March 12, 2018

We are Women, We are the Agenda – Partido Manggagawa

Women workers and poor led by the labor partylist group Partido Manggagawa (PM) marched in Mall of Asia and Mendiola today together with other feminist organizations to commemorate International Women's Day.

The agonies of having to endure ages of physical and emotional violence and living under the pain of deprivation due to economic marginalization are problems unique to women and that these problems should have long been addressed by the past and present administrations. 

 

But for PM, the official theme for this year’s Women Day celebration,“Kapakanan ni Juana, Isama sa Agenda,” speaks for itself:  Women remain at the margins and the call to include their agenda in this coming elections is an admission of repeated neglect recited creatively in positive tones.

 

“Bakit isali lang sa agenda gayong ang kababaihan mismo ang dapat agenda?  Women in production and reproduction suffer the worst kind of injustice in this country.  Aside from violence women also assumed the burden of dealing with poverty and poor delivery of social services such as high prices of goods, taking care of their sick and sending their children to school  without or short of basic provisions, among others,” stated PM Secretary General and partylist nominee, Judy Ann Miranda.

 

Miranda led the PM contingent who joined the local women activities held at the seaside grounds of a mall in Pasay, organized by the Samahang Magkakapitbahay sa Lungsod ng Pasay.   In her speech after the marches and Zumba dancing in Pasay, Miranda called on women living in poor communities to collectively pursue demands for decent jobs, universal healthcare,  facilities for child care, and even for free public laundry systems.

 

Aside from the Pasay activity, PM members also joined other groups in separate marches to Mendiola organized by the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and Women March.

 

PM, which is running under the partylist election this May, explained that half (50%) of the country’s women working population (compared to 20 percent among men) remain inactive member of the labor force because of lack of jobs and the traditional pull of domestic work. The unemployment rate for women is also higher (35.9% in SWS 2013 survey) compared to men (21.2%).   Accordingly, the informal economy is made up mostly of women working in underpaid, irregular jobs of different types. 

 

“Kung hindi magbabago ang ganitong sitwasyon, si Juana ay mananatiling tagasilbi lang sa bahay.  Or once semi-skilled or unskilled women are given the chance to land a job, they are relegated to meticulous but low paying, contractual jobs in the service sector, or brave serving as contractuals in risky domestic work abroad,” added Miranda.

 

The partylist group said it is under this condition that women workers should be accorded decent jobs in the country and to have access to a wide range of social services and social protection such as reproductive healthcare, childcare facilities, and other forms of social security insurance, including living pension for elderly women.

March 8, 2016

Women workers run for gender and labor justice on 101st Women’s Day

PRESS RELEASE

Partido ng Manggagawa

PALEA Women’s Committee

8 March 2012

To cap the weeklong commemoration of International Women’s Day (IWD) by the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) women members held a women run for gender justice and labor justice, 6:00am at Ayala, Makati City, wreath-laying at Gabriela Silang monument at Ayala corner Makati Avenue, then proceeded to Allied Bank along Ayala Avenue.

“The Women Run for Gender Justice and Labor Justice is a celebration of the inseparability of the fight for women’s rights and workers rights.  IWD in fact started in honor of the 1908 garment workers' strike in New York. While much has been achieved by women in general, for women workers the sweatshop conditions of the 1900’s is still the norm in factories, shops, offices and farms as capitalist globalization rolls back the gains of the labor movement even as gender equality and reproductive health remains crucial concerns,” asserted Judy Ann Miranda of PM.

 Ms. Miranda added that, “On this occasion, other concerns that we also want to give emphasis to are women’s right to equal work opportunity, a concrete solution to high prices of basic commodities,  additional budget for social services, and passage of the RH bill.”

PM and PALEA further explained that women’s labor force participation rate in our country has remained, more or less, at 50% and the reason for this is the tremendous lack of job opportunities for women.  This reality is taking a big toll on the bodies and minds of women who have been more burdened by poverty, high prices, and lack of crucial services such as health, housing, among others.

“To DOLE Secretary Baldoz and PNoy, we refuse to listen to more of your promises, lies and deception.  Araw namin  ito, so this time, you listen to our demands and act on them as sincere public officials should do,” declared Arlene Ladimo of PALEA.  To symbolize women workers’ refusal to listen to mere promises but rather be heard, they did an Aguirre (prosecution lawyer Vitaliano Aguirre, Jr.) by covering their ears for a few minutes. 

“We have been lied to when we sought the President’s help vs. Lucio Tan’s outsourcing and contractualization scheme of PAL employees and PNoy said this is within the bounds of law.  Thousands were duped to take up nursing with promises of jobs abroad – the other day, Secretary Baldoz are calling on them to work at call centers, etc., etc.  We want jobs, not just any job but regular and decent jobs, we want lower prices of basic goods, and more budget for social services.  ‘Yan ang ibigay ninyo dahil ‘yan ang kailangan namin,” continued Ms. Ladimo.

After the Women Run at Ayala, Makati, the PALEA and PM women members held a motorcade to Mendiola and joined the World March of Women in a traditional rally. Yesterday they held a “Kalbaryo ng Kababaihan” to highlight the 101 burdens of women as a way of focusing attention on the pressing concerns on the 101st anniversary of IWD.

Women workers hold “Kalbaryo ng Kababaihan”

PALEA women power on the march

PRESS RELEASE

Partido ng Manggagawa (PM)

PALEA Women’s Committee

7 March 2012

Women members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) held a march dubbed “Kalbaryo ng Kababaihan” from Sta. Cruz Church to Recto to Morayta, Manila.  The march highlighted the “101 burdens of women on the 101^st anniversary of International Women’s Day.”

Among the burdens of women raised during the activity included the following: grave lack of job opportunities for women, outsourcing and contractualization being experienced by PALEA members and other women workers, high prices of basic commodities, non-passage of a reproductive health program after more than a decade and extreme lack of social services. 

“International Women’s Day will be 101 years tomorrow.  From continuously struggling for our rights and a better life, we have won victories.  However, the capitalist system in deep crisis has been little by little taking back what our forebears have won and sacrificed their lives for,” asserted PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

“Subalit hindi kami titigil sa paglaban – para sa trabaho, mas mababang presyo ng bilihin, kalidad na pampublikong serbisyo, programa sa reproduktibong kalusugan, at pagtutol sa kontraktwalisasyon, mababang sweldo, expanded value added taxes sa gasolina, tubig at kuryente, at marami pang iba.  Dahil itinuturo ng kasaysayan na hindi kusang ibinibigay ng gobyerno ang karapatan at mas kaaya-ayang buhay para sa kababaihan at mamamayan, ipinaglalaban ito!” Ms. Miranda added.

“Ang pagpunit ng pinalaking bills ng tubig at kuryente, payslip, reseta ng gamot, endong employment contract, at iba pa are symbols of our disappointment at the Aquino government’s lip service to our demands, and our expression that the fight for the reinstatement of PALEA workers, for jobs for women and a better life will continue,” explained Arlene Ladimo of PALEA Women’s Committee.

Afterwards, the Kalbaryo ng Kababaihan merged with the rally for economic justice of the Freedom from Debt Coalition-Women (FDC). The FDC mobilization bannered the call “Utang sa Kababaihan, Dapat Bayaran.”

Women workers launch kick-off march for International Women’s Day celebration

PRESS RELEASE

PALEA Women’s Committee

5 March 2012

Women members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) joined by Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) held a rally at the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Intramuros, Manila to assail the agency’s connivance in the suppression of women workers rights. The protesters will bring female paper dolls with the necks in a noose to highlight the plight of women workers under the present government.

Among the rallyists will be breadwinners, single mothers and widows who are all facing extreme difficulties as PALEA enters its sixth month of a lockout by the Lucio Tan-owned Philippine Airlines (PAL).

“This is our kickoff activity to celebrate March 8, International Women’s Day (IWD),” said Arlene Ladimo of PALEA Women’s Committee.  “The DOLE twice affirmed the outsourcing plan of PAL despite its P3 billion profit belieing its claims of losses. After the mass layoff, now going on six months, we have been facing extreme difficulties i.e., sustaining the education of our children, food expenses, water and electricity bills, etc., etc.  This is especially tough for us, women, who are single mothers, widows and breadwinners,” Ms. Ladimo explained.

“But, of course, despite the hardship, we will not give up.  We will not give up our rights as workers and as women, we will never give up the future of our kids.  We are not alone in this fight.  We are well aware that we face the same situation together with millions of Filipino women–facing unemployment problems, high prices and lack of social services,” added Ms. Ladimo.

“Nakikiisa kami sa laban ng PALEA women gaya ng pakikiisa namin sa laban ng kababaihang manggagawa at maralita.  In this year’s celebration of Women’s Day, our demands are ‘Trabaho para sa Kababaihan!,’ ‘Ibaba presyo ng pangunahing bilihin!’ and ‘Dagdagan ang badyet sa pampublikong serbisyo!,’” explained PM Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda.

After the rally, several of the PALEA members attended the hearing at the DOLE regarding their illegal suspension by Philippine Airlines for supporting the union picketline.

On Wednesday women members of PALEA and PM will join a march for economic and labor justice that will proceed from UST to Mendiola in Manila. On March 8, PALEA and PM will have another mass action to commemorate International Women’s Day as part of the global activities by women’s groups.

PALEA rally at DOLE today for women's rights

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact Alnem Pretencio (PALEA VP) @ 09209543634

        Judy Ann Miranda (PM Sec-Gen) @ 09228677522

Women’s Week Commemoration

PALEA women rally at DOLE today

WHAT: PALEA women members to hold rally at start of Women’s Week commemoration

WHEN:  Today, March 5, 10:00 am

WHERE: Department of Labor and Employment, Intramuros

DETAILS: Women members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) will hold a rally at the DOLE to assail the agency’s connivance in the suppression of women workers rights. The protesters will bring female paper dolls with the necks in a noose to highlight the plight of women workers under the present government.

            Among the rallyists will be breadwinners, single mothers and widows who are all facing extreme difficulties as PALEA enters its sixth month of a lockout by the Lucio Tan-owned flag carrier. After the rally, several of the PALEA members will attend a hearing at the DOLE regarding their illegal suspension by Philippine Airlines for supporting the union picketline.

Wednesday (March 7): PALEA women join march for economic and labor justice, UST to Mendiola

Thursday: (March 8): PALEA and PM commemorates International Women’s Day

Big push for RH on Women’s Day led by Partido ng Manggagawa and RHAN

PRESS RELEASE
8 March 2011

Women members of the Partido ng Manggagawa together with various women’s groups from the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) held a march with around six thousand women to celebrate the 100th year of International Women’s Day by highlighting their support for the RH bill.

With the theme “Marching for RH, Marching for Life!,” Partido ng Manggagawa and RHAN assembled at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) along Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City at 1:00 in the afternoon. At 1:30 pm the group marched from the CHR to the House of Representatives, with other women’s groups that gathered in front of St. Peter’s Parish near the Sandiganbayan. A cultural and solidarity program was held at the South Wing gate of the HOR while sponsorship speeches and interpellations were going on. Simultaneously, a contingent from PM and RHAN attended the session at the Senate of the Philippines to support counterpart bill still pending at the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.

“This is a very important occasion for poor and working women suffering the brunt of the absence of a comprehensive reproductive health care program in the country. We are happy that the House of Representatives heard our clamour to immediately start the sponsorship speeches and plenary debate on the RH bill. Totoong urgent ang issues ng pagkamatay ng 11 kababaihan araw-araw, gayon din, ang pagdami ng kabataang kababaihang nabubuntis, 7 out of 10 pregnancies are that of teens,” explained PM Secretary General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

“On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, we also raise other issues specifically beneficial to poor and working women such as the absence of a socialized housing program, the passage of a law on security of tenure, a legislated across-the-board increase in wages, and protection for frontline service workers against indignities and harassment. Women, especially poor women, are not only doubly but multiply-burdened and greatly suffer from the lack if not the absence of income, high prices of basic commodities, electricity and water, among others,” added Miranda.

In the morning of Women’s Day, PM joined the Martsa ng Kababaihan which highlighted other issues that burden women such as employment and livelihood, violence against women and children, etc. Women participants marched from Blumentritt to Mendiola.

Women workers hold noise barrage for RH bill

PRESS RELEASE
4 March 2011

Women members of the Partido ng Manggagawa held a noise barrage for the RH bill bringing with them makeshift air-conditioners, bags of ice and folding fans in response to the cancellation of sessions at the House of Representatives since Tuesday.

“Women workers have brought whatever air-conditioning amenities that members of the House of Representatives need just so the plenary debates on RH can proceed. This symbolizes the exigency of the bill’s passage given that eleven (11) poor women, including teenagers, are dying every day from pregnancy and birth delivery complications,” explained PM Secretary General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

From a leaders assembly of women workers at the Department of Agriculture AIT Building in the morning, PM members marched to Philcoa for the noise barrage at 1:00pm. In preparation for the Women’s Day commemoration, the assembly discussed pressing concerns of women workers’ such as the RH bill, the security of tenure bill and the plight of migrant workers.

“We are deeply concerned with the increasing rate of teenage pregnancy. The Philippines, according to the World Bank, is among the Top 10 countries where there are an increasing number of teenage mothers (3.6 million). Seven out of every 10 women who are pregnant are teenagers. More often than not, these teenagers come from poor and working class families. We could just imagine how difficult life would be for these young women,” added Miranda.

PM believes that through age-appropriate sexuality and reproductive health education, young women especially, will learn the risks of early pregnancy and, thus, try to avoid unsound sexual decisions. “It is really important that the State provide the necessary preparation for teenagers to cope with puberty and sexual development through sex education,” stressed Miranda.

On March 8, hundreds of PM members including the youth will assemble by 1:00 at St. Peter’s Cathedral along Commonwealth Ave. then march on to Batasang Pambansa for the big rally in support of the RH bill.

PALEA welcomes Ethics Committee finding on “menopausal bitch” case

Press Release
March 3, 2011
PALEA

The Philippine Airlines Employees’ Association (PALEA) welcomed the House Ethics Committee’s approval of the case against Rep. Eulogio Magsaysay for grave slander, serious misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a high ranking public official and direct solicitation of personal favor or gain using his office. Last Tuesday the Ethics Committee as a whole found the PALEA complaint against Magsaysay as sufficient in form and substance. The case is now assigned to the Subcommittee on Ethics for investigation headed by Benguet Rep. Ronald Cosalan.

“This is a welcome gift for the coming International Women’s Day. PALEA and Sarah Bonnin-Ocampo appreciates the House Ethics Committee for its forthright decision. We call on the Subcommittee to act with dispatch and justice on the complaint. Magsaysay may not lose his seat in the House unlike Singson and Ecleo but he nonetheless deserves punishment for his misdeed,” stated Ginalyn Licayan, PALEA Women’s Committee head.

Last January 17 PALEA and Ocampo filed the case against Magsaysay at the House Committees on Ethics and Privileges. On 17 December last year, while on duty, Magsaysay shouted “menopausal bitch” and “bitch” several times to Ocampo after being told that she does not have to the power to change seating arrangements in the business class as per his request.

In preparation for the Women’s Day commemoration, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) and PALEA Women’s Committee will be holding a leaders assembly tomorrow to discuss the pressing concerns of women workers such as Ocampo’s case, the RH bill, the security of tenure bill and plight of migrant workers. They will then have a noise barrage by 1:00 pm at Philcoa. On March 8, hundreds of PM members will assemble by 1:00 at St. Peter’s Cathedral along Commonwealth Ave. then march on to Batasang Pambansa for the big RH bill.

“We wish that Sarah’s fight for justice will blaze a trail in the struggle for workers’ dignity. Service workers in the airline industry and call centers among others suffer indignities in the workplace through no fault of their own but receive no protection from their employers or the government. There are many more Sarahs who need support and protection against abusive officials and insensitive customers,” explained Judy Ann Miranda, secretary general of PM which has been supporting PALEA in its compliant.

“The Ethics Committee recognition of our complaint is already an initial gain as is PAL management’s announcement that it will look into proposals to protect its frontline service workers from indignities and harassment,” Licayan asserted. ###

Labor group slam rich barangay ordinance against condom sale

PRESS RELEASE
28 February 2011

The Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) condemns the issuance of an ordinance by officials of Barangay Ayala Alabang against the sale of condoms. The group meanwhile welcomed the position of the Muntinlupa City council that in its review of the barangay ordinance said that it might be violation of the law and guidelines of the Department of Health.

“The officials of Barangay Ayala Alabang are obviously being dogmatic while the Muntinlupa city councillors are being prudent in their positions. The exclusive subdivisions of Ayala Alabang may put as high a wall to prevent poor people from peering but they cannot setup its own rules in contradiction with the laws of the country,” explained PM Secretary General Judy Ann Chan-Miranda.

She added that, “The need for prescription undermines the right of residents in the barangay to contraceptives. In the first place, the need for prescription to purchase condoms and pills is baseless. Matagal na itong kinategorize na over-the-counter essential medicines ng Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) and even by the World Health Organization. Now, seemingly, these barangay officials have suddenly becomes medical experts.”

Yesterday more than a thousand women and men from PM and different women’s groups marched at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) office in Intramuros. On March 4, PM will hold a big assembly of women workers on the RH bill and other working women issues in preparation for the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. PM will commemorate Women’s Day with rallies at the Senate and House and Representatives to lobby for the RH bill.

“Prescriptions are used for drugs and medicines that may put people’s lives at risk. Anong health risk mayroon ang condom? And pills? Actually, it is highly prescribed by the WHO in preventing HIV-AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases.” said Miranda.

PM further explained that legislating the Catholic Church’s doctrines, even at the barangay level, is coercive. “Women, men, parents and couples have the right to decide which contraceptives to use. It is neither up to the State nor the Church to decide on these matters,” Miranda insisted.

Women workers debunk government claim that Pilar has overtaken Pepe

PRESS RELEASE
08 March 2009

The government is just making big fuzz out of its false claim that Filipino women have overtaken men in terms of development, a militant labor party said in a statement in today’s celebration of the International Women’s Day.

Women members of the Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) (Labor Party-Philippines), who joined the Welga ng Kababaihan’s march to Mendiola this morning, reacted strongly to a presumptous government study which claimed that women have indeed overtaken men in many aspects and that sooner or later it is the Filipino men who will clamor for equality and would demand for its own “National Men’s Month”.

According to an article titled “When will Filipino men catch up with Filipino Women?” written by Candido J. Astrologo, Jr. (cj.astrologo@nscb.gov.ph), OIC-Director of the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC) and Policies, Programs, and Standards Office (PPSO) and published in March under the column of Romulo Virola, the Secretary General of National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) (www.nscb.gov.ph/headlines/StatsSpeak/2009/020909_cja_gdi.asp), women outperformed men in terms of health, education, and income.

The study claimed women gained higher achievements than men in all three dimensions as indicated by the higher than one levels of Gender Equality Ratio or GER for health (1.0248), education (1.0583) and income (1.2299) in 2003. In fact, the advantage of women in the income dimension grew bigger as the GER in income increased from 1.1170 to 1.2299 and could possibly one of the reasons why this year’s Women’s Month theme is “Babae, Yaman ka ng Bayan!”

And this was due to what the author claims is government’s attention given to women being a signatory to various international conventions and resolutions in formulation of appropriate domestic policies on women, the latest of which is the proposed Magna Carta on Women.

“With all these efforts geared towards enhancing the status of women, wouldn’t Pepe feel jealous that Pilar is getting all the attention? And refer to Pilar as 'ang babaeng humugot ng aking tadyang?' Should there be a Magna Carta of Men too?,” the study pompously declared.

But PM secretary-general Judy Ann Miranda said the article smacks of pretentions and is more a self-emulation of the Arroyo administration’s wanting gender performance.

“The study merely highlights women achievements in those areas but it hides the bigger picture of the real state of inequality between men and women in the Philippines. It also contains chauvinist innuendos, or a sexist joke at its worst, by challenging the egos of men that were outperformed by women. That makes us wonder whether the government truly understands the essence of women’s struggle for equality,” lamented Miranda.

Invisible work, lower wages, more women death

The awful truth, Miranda said, is that around 51.4 percent (or 15 million) of Filipino women are not active in the labor force compared to men’s 78.9 percent (22.9 million) labor force participation rate. Assuming that 4 million of these women aged 15-19 are still studying and the 2.5 million aged 60-80 above have retired. This means there remains 8.5 million women aged 20-59 who are not active in the labor force and what for what reasons? These women are, more or less, a big chunk of the labor force that are doing fulltime household work – unrecognized by society because the value of what they do remains invisible in the country’s income accounts. Likewise, they are not counted in the statistics of the unemployed. In fact, there are only 929,000 unemployed women accounted for in October 2008. Compared to

“How can then invisible women be considered 'yaman ng bayan' when in fact these women cannot claim that even to themselves?” Miranda averred. These numbers indicate that more than half of Filipino women aged 15 and above are without their own income.

Moreover, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO), women are paid lower wages compared to men, and this is the trend worldwide. Despite the fact that there is no discrimination on women in terms of wages policies in the country, majority of women workers are found service sector, education, finance, health and social work where wages are more often than not below the minimum wage rate, without benefits, the worse of working conditions and the type of work they do are extensions of their household chores. To add up to these is the recent lay off of around 40,000 workers, mostly women, due to the global economic crisis.

“How can then we take the report of Virola seriously,” added PM’s secretary general. These data categorically negates the report that women have overtaken men also in terms of education given the fact that majority of women are unemployed and without their own source of income.

The same goes in the health aspect. It is true statistics say that women live longer than men, however, there are also 11 women who die in childbirth everyday according to the recent study conducted by the United Nations Children’s Fund. Pregnancy and childbirth complications remain in the top 10 killers of women in the country. In relation with this, it is estimated that 800 women die yearly due to complications of unsafe abortion. Around 3,0000 women yearly are reported raped and the trend is going up. Another 3,000 women die of breast cancer yearly, and another 2,000 of cervical cancer.

Demand for bailout

In the face of the global economic crisis, the Partido ng Manggagawa is demanding in particular, (1) a specific subsidy program for displaced women workers, (2) tax refund for wage earners, (3) extension of health care coverage, (4) a reformed public employment program for displaced and unemployed women, and, (5) a moratorium on demolitions and evictions.

It is also calling for the reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies which women blame for the high prices of goods and the deterioration of public services.

The labor party is also calling for the passage of the Reproductive Health Bill now pending before the Congress.

Women workers demand passage of RH bill on Women’s Day

PRESS RELEASE
7 March 2009

With the impact of the economic meltdown expected to hit women the hardest, as confirmed in a statement by the International Labor Organization one day before International Women’s Day, the Partido ng Manggagawa renewed its call to both Houses of Congress for the passage of the reproductive health bill.

PM said that according to a latest study done by the United Nation’s Children’s Fund, 11 Filipino women die in childbirth everyday. “Undoubtedly, this number may even grow bigger as the effect of the global economic crisis deepens. Women workers – mostly in insecure jobs, underpaid, working in the most deplorable of working conditions – are victims of the country’s pathetic reproductive and maternal health services,” explained Judy Ann Miranda, PM’s general secretary.

Filipino women, especially poor working women, are the main beneficiaries once the proposed reproductive health bill is enacted. Interventions such as childbirths being supervised by midwives and skilled health professionals, high infertility rates properly addressed, mothers educated on family planning methods and risks of pregnancy, strengthening of the country’s poor reproductive and health care systems, etc will more likely be addressed.

“On Women’s Day, we are calling on the Arroyo government, that instead of focusing on farcical notions that women have indeed beaten men in terms of income, why not address the fact that majority of Filipino women are poor. Instead of focusing on the few women who have made it – indeed, we are happy for these women – why not focus on the plight of the more than half a million women who undergo unsafe abortion because of poverty, who want to use artificial contraception but cannot because of poverty, who want to give birth safely but cannot because of poverty…women whose needs should be addressed accordingly by a government headed by a woman herself,” said Miranda. She added “Indeed, it is high time for the government to address these issues and work for the passage of the RH bill.”

The Partido ng Manggagawa, in the midst of the global crisis, is also demanding for the implementation of a specific subsidy program for displaced women workers, tax refund for wage earners, a health care coverage, a reformed public employment program for displaced and unemployed women, and moratorium on demolitions and evictions. It is also calling for the reversal of liberalization, deregulation and privatization policies which women blame for the high prices of goods and the deterioration of public services.