The People Power uprising at EDSA was not the final
stop for the working class. This was according to Partido Manggagawa (PM),
whose members participated in today’s commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of
the EDSA People Power under the banner of Siklab and the Trillion Peso March
Movement (TPMM).
“The spirit of people power must be sustained and
further strengthened because it remains the way to achieve genuine democracy
that has been smashed up by perennial corruption and dynastic rule,” said
Renato Magtubo, Chairperson of PM.
Magtubo added: “There can be no decent jobs without a
decent government, and reform is meaningless if it does not lead to systemic
change.”
PM is with TPMM in demanding accountability against
all corrupt officials and in pushing for an end to political dynasties and
oligarchic control of the economy.
He explained that over the past 40 years, successive
administrations merely shared responsibility in neglecting the problems of
poverty and inequality due to neoliberal policies that favored capitalists over
workers, such as labor-only contracting (endo) and cheap wages under the
provincial rate system.
“The result: the economy grew, but the lives of
workers remained below the poverty level. Labor productivity increased by 71%,
yet workers’ real wages rose by only 5%. Between 2000 and 2020, the Philippines
lagged behind the rest of ASEAN in terms of real minimum wage growth,” Magtubo
added.
On her part, PM Secretary General Judy Miranda said
the spirit of people power must also remain alive among women in order to
attain greater freedoms, as they continue to bear heavy burdens in life.
She noted that a significant portion of the
working-age female population are “fulltime nanays”, while those who are
employed face wage gaps and harassment. At home, women carry the
responsibilities of childcare and education, food provision, and healthcare.
“We thus reiterate our call that all those involved in
corruption must be held accountable because the funds stolen from the public
treasury should have been utilized for services that women and children need,”
Miranda said.
Following the commemoration of EDSA People Power,
women’s groups are now preparing for the celebration of International Women’s
Day on March 8.
Photos can be accessed at FB: Partido Manggagawa
PRESS RELEASE
Partido Manggagawa
25 February 2026
