“Logo lang ang nagbago sa SONA ni BBM”--labor group

  

The militant labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) asserted that only the logo has changed as President Bong Bong Marcos is set to deliver his second State of the Nation today. “Walang bago sa Pilipinas. Logo lang ang nagbago. All the social problems—poverty, inequality, low wages, high prices, unemployment and insecure jobs—remain unresolved and without any clear solutions under this administration,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and Marikina city councilor.

 

Hundreds of PM members will join other workers organizations under the Nagkaisa labor coalition in assembling around 9:00 am today at Philcoa. By 11:00 am, the group will merge with more labor groups and other civil society organizations along Commonwealth Avenue and in front of the Commission on Human Rights. They will march to Tandang Sora where the People’s SONA will have a program from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.

 

In Cebu City, PM along with groups SENTRO and Akbayan will assemble in Plaza Independencia at 8:00 am today. Then they will march onto the Cebu City Freedom Park and finally merge with other organizations for the main program in Metro Colon. In Iloilo, PM is joining other workers organizations for the counter-SONA rally today under the coalition United Labor.

 

Magtubo cited the loss of more than 4,000 jobs as two big garment factories are shutting down in the Mactan Export Processing Zone as an example of the failures of the Marcos Jr. administration, along with the price of rice that remains double the promised P20 per kilo. He insisted that “Dahil walang trabahong regular and walang murang bigas, bigo ang Pilipinas sa pamumuno ni BBM.”

July 24, 2023

Ahead of SONA, labor group slams factory closures at Mactan Export Processing Zone

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed the retrenchment of some 4,100 workers at Mactan Apparel Inc. and its satellite companies. “These are factory closures, not just mass layoffs. Even though the economy is growing, workers are suffering. More than 4,000 breadwinners have lost their jobs and their families will now have to deal with all the difficulties of joblessness,” declared Dennis Derige, spokesperson of the Cebu chapter of PM.

 

He added that “With President Bong Bong Marcos Jr. due to give his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, we demand of him: Trabaho at bigas sa Bagong Pilipinas! Kung walang trabahong regular and walang murang bigas, bigo ang Pilipinas sa iyong pamumuno.”

 

PM stated that the call for job security, wage hike and cheap prices are among their calls for the counter-SONA protest on Monday. A petition for a P100 minimum wage hike has been filed in Cebu and Bohol. The wage boards have set hearings on the P100 petition on July 26 in Metro Cebu and August 10 in Bohol.

 

Different labor groups are mobilizing hundreds of workers, students and urban poor for the counter-SONA. PM, along with groups SENTRO and Akbayan, will assemble in Plaza Independencia at 8:00 am on July 24. Then they will march onto the Cebu City Freedom Park and finally merge with other organizations for the main program in Metro Colon.

 

Mactan Apparel Inc. and its sister companies, MAI Printing and FIT printing are closing down. The three factories make sportswear exclusively for the global brand Adidas and is part of the Sports City conglomerate, which is the biggest employer in the Mactan Export Processing Zone. The retrenchment at Mactan Apparel is the third wave of mass layoffs at Sports City. Some 4,000 workers were laid off across the different Sports City garment factories in September 2022 and another 4,000 in September 2020 at the height of the pandemic.

 

“We call on global brand Adidas to explain why their supplier factories are closing down. Adidas should step up, be transparent and clarify to workers who made their sportswear why they are losing their jobs. Do not make the usual alibi for not doing anything that your supplier is complying with the minimum standards set by law. If Adidas is indeed a good corporate citizen, then it must exercise responsibility for the loss of livelihood of 4,000 workers,” insisted Derige.

 

PM also argued that the series of mass layoffs and factory closures at MEPZ exposed the vulnerability of a development model founded on foreign investment and export production. “We need a paradigm shift away from export orientation. Economic and social development should be founded on a planned industrial policy that prioritizes domestic production even as it takes advantage of export markets,” Derige explained.

Press Release

July 20, 2023

SONA: Full of sound and some fury but signifying nothing

The SONA was a belated miting de avance speech in which Bongbong’s platform of government was finally revealed. In the speech were lists of promises that he should have discussed during his campaign but he never did. There is nothing in the speech that portrays the real state of the nation.

 

Worst, no decisive plan to address inflation that is affecting the lives of the poor and ordinary workers. Neither aid nor wage increase can be expected in the near future to tide workers and their families during these difficult times.

 

Likewise, rampant contractualization of labor and violation of labor rights including red-tagging of union leaders and organizers were not addressed in the speech.

 

The speech was primarily intended for legislators, investors and foreign diplomats, not at all for the vast majority of the working people.

 

The State of the Nation, Marcos declared, is sound. But it was deafeningly quiet on wages, endo, and full employment.

 

It targeted a 9% poverty incidence and upper middle-income status of the country by the end of his term. But there was no mention if living wage and full employment are going to be addressed to make it happen.

 

It was strong on food security, but no mention of reversing import liberalization policy, including rice tariffication.

 

There will be a rightsizing program in government. But there was no diet plan for fat bosses in the government who enjoy pork and perks. In short, very silent on corruption.

 

There was also no explanation on whether funds are available to support his program. No mention of a wealth tax.

 

SONA was silent on the bloody war on drugs. But there was also no mention of improving the country's human rights situation.

 

Tough talk on climate and renewable energy. Unfortunately, the plans include nuclear power.

 

Plans for pandemic response were not so clear, even contradictory with his 'no more lockdown' policy yet maintaining the present alert level system.

 

Labor export policy remains, only that it will have an active repatriation program.

 

Except for a continuation of Duterte railway projects, no mention of the life of transport workers and the riding community.

 

In conclusion, there is no immediate relief against high prices and unemployment/underemployment problems. No major policy reforms.

 

BBM's SONA, in short, was simply a wish list of platforms that we should have heard during the election campaign. 

Ka Rene Magtubo

spokesperson of Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and Chairman of Partido Manggagawa

26 July 2022

Golden age is full employment with living wage, safe workplaces, and healthy environment

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa, on SONA (State of the Nation Address) day, advised their fellow workers not to pin their hopes with the hype of a ‘golden era’ being promoted by the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., saying the value of this campaign narrative, the same as wages, has already been eroded by hard realities.

 

Because the truth is, argued PM Chair Renato Magtubo, “Never has there been a golden age for workers under any administration and neither will it be realized under BBM, or until full employment, living wage, safe workplaces, and healthy environment are achieved.”

 

Magtubo explained that over the last few decades, the army of unemployed and underemployed dominate the labor force, with the real value of wages failing to catch up with even half of the living wage.

 

In the face of soaring inflation, the real value of the P570 minimum wage in the National Capital Region (NCR) today stood only at P508.02, according to the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC). On the other hand, the living wage requirement for a family of five has already reached P1,300/day based on PM’s earlier estimates.

 

Thus, together with the Nagkaisa labor coalition, PM is advocating not only for an outright wage increase but also for a change in wage fixing mechanism and, in addition, a package of universal social protection programs that aims to lower households’ daily cost of living.

 

The country’s workplaces, added Magtubo, remain unsafe as far as workers’ freedom of association is concerned as the anti-union policies of the capitalists do not only enjoy maximum tolerance but are, in so many ways, aided by the state itself such as contractualization (endo), red-tagging and worst, extrajudicial killings.

 

The Philippines remains in the list of 10 countries where trade union work is most dangerous, according to the latest report by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

 

The group pointed out also that despite the unemployment rate tilting back to the pre-pandemic levels, most of the jobs that were either recovered or created remain irregular, self-employment, and low-paid.  Thus, the call of PM and Nagkaisa for employment guarantee and support to key sectors of the economy like the health sector, MSMEs, agriculture, and the environment.

 

Likewise, echoing the claim of climate activists that there’s hardly any jobs to talk about under a burning planet, PM is asking the government that fighting the climate crisis and creating climate jobs be made one of the major priorities of this new administration.

 

“Otherwise, if Marcos Jr. simply goes on as business-as-usual during his first SONA, the rest of his six years will be the same over and over again, or even worse,” concluded Magtubo.

25 July 2022

Riders group demand ayuda ahead of SONA

 

The riders’ rights group Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (Kagulong) asked the government for a package of social assistance for the so-called “bagong bayani” ahead of the first SONA of President Bongbong Marcos.

 

Kagulong held a pre-SONA online gathering yesterday were riders aired their grievances and tabled a set of demands. The group plans to join the alternative SONA mobilization of civil society groups on Monday.

 

“Protection of riders’ rights, livelihood and safety are the three main issue facing the riding community. These can be addressed by the new government through legislation or executive action,” stated Don Pangan Kagulong secretary-general.

 

He explained that the incomes of food delivery, courier and motorcycle taxi riders have been severely affected by rising prices of gasoline. As independent contractors, fuel costs as well as vehicle maintenance are shouldered by riders and not the apps.

 

“When gas prices were around P60 per liter, riders spent P200 to P300 for travelling for 8 to 10 hour a day. Now that gas costs P70 to P80 per liter, fuel expenses have risen to P300 to P400 but gross incomes have remained the same. So, a rider earning P800 daily gets to take home only P500 today instead of P600 or more previously. This net income is now below the minimum wage. Riders are falling into the ranks of the working poor. Thus, the urgency of the demand for subsidized fuel and basic goods,” Pangan elaborated.

 

He added “In addition, riders set aside P50 daily for vehicle maintenance and P100 to P150 weekly (P150/7 days = P21.42) for their cellphone load. This just leaves P428.58 as the take-home pay of a rider. If the spouse also works as a rider, the aggregate household income comes up to only a little more than P800 daily which falls short of the P1,300 cost of living estimate of Partido Manggagawa. No wonder that if riders fall sick or meet an accident then they plunge into debt given that they have no social protection as self-employed workers. Therefore, we demand recognition as employees with labor rights and social security.”

 

Kagulong is also asking Congress to repeal the Doble Plaka law for being discriminatory to riders and authorities for better enforcement of road safety laws.

Kagulong

July 21, 2022

Workers vow to fight chacha at counter-SONA rally

At the top of issues to be raised by workers at the counter-SONA rally today is the opposition to charter change. “Chicha hindi chacha. The government must attend to the problem of hunger and poverty instead of term extension and foreign ownership which are the agenda of charter change,” declared Rene Magtubo, chair of the group Partido Manggagawa (PM).

PM is participating in the coalition United Workers SONA which will mobilize this afternoon. The United Workers SONA coalition will then join up with other broad networks for the United People’s SONA.

The group is also joining the rally by human rights group at the Quezon City Hall by 10:30 am to cry justice for the victims of extra-judicial killings and also demand action on the death of Cavite labor organizer Dennis Sequena.

In Cebu, PM is joining a broad coalition of groups Sentro, Kalipunan and Bayan for a rally that will echo the demands of the United People’s SONA at Commonwealth. The counter-SONA in Cebu City will be at Colon St. by 9:00 am.

Magtubo averred that that “Duterte may repeat in the SONA the unsubstantiated claim by the Labor Department that 500,000 workers have been regularized. Where is the evidence and particulars? The truth is that companies such as PLDT and Philippine Airlines have appealed in the courts the orders to regularize thousands of agency workers. The Philippines is still a Republic of Endo, a Province of China and a puppet of the US.”

He added that “Up to now, President Duterte has not signed the SOT bill due to the powerful lobby of employers for a veto. Should President Duterte surrender to the demand to veto the bill, then he reveals where he stands on the class war between the workers and capitalists on contractualization. A presidential veto will just be another betrayal of his promise to workers. But even if the Security of Tenure bill is signed or lapses into law, endo will persist since the legislation is a watered-down version.” Thus the group averred that among workers demands for the SONA mobilization is a stronger law to stamp out contractualization.

In the counter-SONA rally, aside from pushing for an end to endo, workers are also clamoring for a reform of the wage-setting mechanism.

“We welcome the announcement by the Department of Labor and Employment that it will undertake a study on the current wage system in response to the calls to abolish the regional wage boards. Although we fear that powerful lobby by employers will once more scuttle any real reform,” asserted Magtubo.

PM is batting for the abolition of the regional wage boards and its replacement by a National Wage Commission which will fix a national minimum wage based on the cost of living. The group is also calling for the provision of a minimum basic income for workers in the SME sector which is unregulated and exempted from the minimum wage setting.

July 22, 2019

“We are still a Republic of Endo under Duterte”—labor group

On the eve of the SONA, the labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) declared that “After three years of Duterte, we are a Republic of Endo, a Province of China and a puppet of the US.”

PM is participating in the coalition United Workers SONA which will mobilize on tomorrow afternoon. The United Workers SONA coalition will then join up with other broad networks for the United People’s SONA.

“We believe that the reason President Duterte has not signed the SOT bill up to now is the strong lobby of employers for a veto. Should President Duterte surrender to the demand to veto the bill, then he reveals where he stands on the class war between the workers and capitalists on contractualization. A presidential veto will just be another betrayal of his promise to workers,” asserted Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

He added that “But even if the Security of Tenure bill is signed or lapses into law, endo will persist since the legislation is a watered-down version.” Thus the group averred that among workers demands for the forthcoming SONA mobilization is a stronger law to stamp out contractualization.

“Contrary to the wild claim of employers that the security of tenure bill is superfluous because endo has already been ended with DO 173 and EO 51, numerous loopholes allow the proliferation of contractual workers. The security of tenure bill will not end endo and will not stop contractualization because it is a weak version of the proposed law,” Magtubo averred.

In the counter-SONA rally, aside from pushing for an end to endo, workers are also clamoring for a reform of the wage-setting mechanism.

“We welcome the announcement by the Department of Labor and Employment that it will undertake a study on the current wage system in response to the calls to abolish the regional wage boards. Although we fear that powerful lobby by employers will once more scuttle any real reform,” asserted Magtubo.

PM is batting for the abolition of the regional wage boards and its replacement by a National Wage Commission which will fix a national minimum wage based on the cost of living. The group is also calling for the provision of a minimum basic income for workers in the SME sector which is unregulated and exempted from the minimum wage setting.

21 July 2019

Labor group slams employers for end endo veto

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed employers for its call that President Rodrigo Duterte veto the security of tenure bill. “The demand of employers’ groups for a veto of the security of tenure bill exposes the raw greed of the capitalist class and their wanton desire to maintain the abusive system of contractualization. As it stands now, the security of tenure bill is already watered down but capitalists are not satisfied and want it totally killed,” asserted Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

“Should President Duterte surrender to the demand to veto the bill, then he reveals where he stands on the class war between the workers and capitalists on contractualization. It has been three years since Duterte promised to abolish contractualization but millions of workers continue to suffer from this abusive scheme. A presidential veto will just be another betrayal of his promise to workers,” argued Magtubo.

Workers are set to continue pushing for a strong security of tenure law with the opening of Congress on July 22. Various labor groups are in talks for a coordinated march on the occasion of the SONA.

Magtubo stated that “Contrary to the wild claim of employers that the security of tenure bill is superfluous because endo has already been ended with DO 173 and EO 51, numerous loopholes allow the proliferation of contractual workers everywhere. The security of tenure bill will not end endo and will not stop contractualization because it is a weak version of the proposed law.”

The security of tenure bill passed by Congress is the version drafted by the Senate. Labor groups such as the labor coalition Nagkaisa pushed for the stronger version of the security of tenure bill which was passed by the House of Representatives.

“The differences between the Senate and House drafts of the bill should have been ironed out by a bicameral conference committee but magically the weak version was adopted in toto by Congress. The culprit for watering down the security of tenure bill was lobby by the Department of Finance and maneuvering by pro-capitalist senators,” explained Magtubo.

July 5, 2019

Workers to troop to Congress tomorrow for SONA reaction, demand end endo

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) slammed the SONA of President Rodrigo Duterte for failing to tackle the delivery of campaign promises including ending contractualization. Tomorrow, members of PM along with other groups from the labor coalition Nagkaisa will troop to Congress to call for the passage of the Security of Tenure bill.

“Duterte’s SONA—minus the stories and curses—was all about death and taxes. People will die. Filipinos will be taxed. Taxes will be used for the war on drugs and the armed forces instead of for social services. In contrast, the SONA’s silence on endo and other reform promises was deafening,” stated Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and spokesperson of Nagkaisa.

More than a hundred workers will assemble at the gates of Batasang Pambansa at 11:00 am tomorrow to push for the enactment of a law to prohibit all forms of contractualization. It will also be an opportunity for labor to air its reaction on the SONA.

Magtubo explained that “The SONA was full of sound and fury but signifying nothing for workers. Workers got absolutely nothing from the two-hour long SONA speech of President Duterte. The SONA started on the theme of the promise of change. Thus workers waited for Duterte to elaborate on the delivery of the promises. But not a single word on ending endo. And no much else too on other social reform issues.”

“Instead the narrative of whether promises were delivered were overshadowed by Duterte’s rambling rants against his critics, principally human rights advocates and the mass media. Indeed the rants were an entertaining distraction from the embarrassing topic of undelivered promises. Paradoxically only China was unreservedly praised,” he added.

Magtubo insisted that workers were left with unanswered questions after the SONA. “So has the promise of change been delivered? Obviously not, but why? After the hours-long stories, curses and boasts, how will the lives of the workers and the poor be changed permanently? Of these, there were no answers,” he argued.

Workers reaction to SONA 2017

So has the promise of change been delivered?

The SONA was full of sound and fury but signifying nothing for workers. Workers got absolutely nothing from the two-hour long SONA speech of President Duterte. The SONA started on the theme of the promise of change. Thus workers waited for Duterte to elaborate on the delivery of the promises. But not a single word on ending endo. And not much else too on other social reform issues.

Instead, the narrative of whether promises were delivered was overshadowed by Duterte’s rambling rants against his critics, principally human rights advocates, the mass media and international rights organizations. Indeed the rants were a convenient distraction from the embarrassing topic of undelivered promises. Paradoxically only China was unreservedly praised.

After the hours-long stories, curses, and boasts, how will the lives of the workers and the poor be changed permanently? Of that, there was no answer. The only thing certain in Duterte’s SONA are death and taxes. People will die. Filipinos will be taxed. Taxes will be used for the war on drugs and martial law instead of for social services.

State of Negros: The rise of ‘new sacadas’ belies SONA claim of PNoy on labor

NEWS RELEASE

Partido Manggagawa-Negros

28 July 2015

The rise of ‘new sacadas’ in Negros belie the claim of President Aquino during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday that the country is now moving from cheap labor to high-tech producer.

Fresh from the joint consultation-workshop on the state of sugar workers held in Bacolod City last Sunday, the Negros chapter of Partido Manggagawa (PM-Negros) and the Sentro ng Nagkakaisang Manggagawa (Sentro) described as ‘first world falsehood’ the assertion of the President that high-tech production is taking over cheap labor that for a long time characterized the Philippine labor force.

“What country are you talking about, Mr. President?  Negros is now home to BPOs yet the island remains a country of sacadas,” said the two groups in a statement.

It is clear, according to PNoy, “The Filipino can now compete.  Previously our only selling point was cheap labor.  Now factories for high-tech equipment are coming here, from airplane parts, electrical tricycles, printers, and other digital media products to high-quality medical devices.”

During their Sunday consultation, PM-Negros presented a study that pointed to the rise of ‘new sacadas’ in Negros resulting from the dismal failure of agrarian reform in the island as well as the massive contractualization of farm works in the Sugarlandia.

“The old dumaans (regular workers) were replaced by tens of thousands and contractual workers. And the migrant sacadas that mainly came from Panay and other neighboring provinces before are now replaced by inland sacadas -- a phenomenon that suggests a downside shift in labor relations in the island,” explained the group.

According to PM-Negros, the ‘new sacadas’ of Negros is represented now by tens of thousands of contractual farm workers who comprise at least 80% of the total workforce in sugar plantations in the island.  They receive not more than P150 per day working as planters, weeders, fertilizer applicators, harvesters and haulers.

“Until the late 90s, Negros sourced its shortage of sacadas from outside of the island but now the internal labor market is heavily populated with contractual, seasonal and mobile workers who perform work previously done by regular workers or the dumaans,” said the two groups.

For PM and Sentro, the combination of failed agrarian reform and the onslaught of contractualization schemes created this phenomenon as workers who were displaced due to massive retrenchments lost their employee-employer relationship (EER) and eventually their right to become land reform beneficiaries. 

“This condition left at least 100,000 hectares with no more agrarian reform beneficiaries to claim the lands, creating in effect an army of sacadas that hop from one hacienda to another around the island to find work,” explained the group.

This state of sugar workers in Negros, added the groups, is further threatened by the expected adverse impact of Asean integration on Philippine agriculture once the zero tariff regime begins to be implemented this year.

“We expect massive job loss once the country’s sugar industry fails to survive the intense competition with Thai and Vietnamese sugar,” said PM.

The saddest point, said PM and Sentro, is to hear the SONAs of the past and present Presidents, without any mention of the pressing problems in Negros, specifically the life of sugar workers.

“Ang problema namon, amon lang gid problema. Isa kami sa halimbawa sang SONA nga indi matalupangdan,” concluded the group.

Inequality, jobless growth are PNoy’s legacies—labor group

Press Release

July 27, 2015

With President Benigno Aquino III expected to dwell on his legacies in today’s SONA, the labor party Partido Manggagawa (PM) insisted that worsening inequality and jobless growth are the enduring legacies of his administration.

“Walang naituwid at walang naitawid si PNoy sa kanyang panunungkulan. Economic growth has not tricked down to the masses as unemployment, poverty, contractualization, low wages and lackluster social services persist. Worse, GDP growth has been monopolized by big capitalists as the wealth of the richest 50 Filipinos has ballooned in the last few years thus the chasm between rich and poor swelled even more,” explained Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

Hundreds of PM members joined the SONA protest launched by the labor coalition Nagkaisa and various multisectoral groups. Ahead of the main afternoon counter-SONA rally, some 50 members of PM-Kabataan, its PM’s youth organization, held a flash mob in front of the TUCP/PGEA compound to dramatize the sorry state of the youth. Other PM-Kabataan members held giant placards that spelled the message: “5 Taon ni PNoy: Kabataan NGA-NGA!” Counter-SONA protests were also held by PM chapters in Cebu at downtown Colon and in Davao in front of the city hall.

Magtubo added that “Even as PNoy focuses on his unique achievements in his SONA, his administration is essentially no different from past regimes in sacrificing the workers and the poor in the altar of globalization. The state of the workers is best illustrated by the industrial tragedy at Kentex and the plight of OFW Mary Jane Veloso. Sweatshops and cheap labor are the norm not just in Valenzuela but everywhere. No wonder, Filipinos choose to go abroad in a futile search for greener pastures, only to fall victim to criminal syndicates, abusive employers and lack of labor rights and social protection in other countries.”

PM’s Magtubo averred that Aquino’s good governance record is at best spotty, as many critics have pointed out that the so-called anti-corruption campaign has only targeted well-known opposition leaders. The group also argues that poverty reduction is dependent on the massive funds allocated to the nationwide dole out program of CCT that remains hobbled by patronage system at the ground. Finally PM also claims that a big chunk of the jobs generated under Aquino is mainly due to the emergency work program.

“By itself, dispensing emergency work is positive but ours pales in comparison to similar programs in other countries. In the Philippines, emergency work in the form of DOLE’s TUPAD lasts only for 15 days for every year while in India, the law called NREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment for every rural family annually,” Magtubo described.

PNoy, past governments failed the youth in their transition to the world of work – PM-Kabataan

News Release

July 25, 2015

PM-Kabataan

High dropout rates due to high cost of education amid the prevailing poverty in the country; unemployment; the prevalence of precarious working conditions; and poor state of public services have condemned the youth to a life of uncertainty despite the promises of tuwid na daan under the Aquino administration.

This was the assertion of the youth wing of Partido Manggagawa, PM-Kabataan (PMK), ahead of its pre-SONA “art attack” protest to be held tomorrow at the Quezon Memorial Circle as it railed against the lack of tangible legacy the youth sector has gained under the Aquino as well as the past administrations, specifically, for their failure to eliminate established roadblocks that limit opportunities for young people to secure a better future.

Youth is defined by the UN and ILO as those under 25 years of age.  The Philippine law (RA8044), however, prescribed the 15-30 age group to cover the youth sector.  There are 18.93 million Filipinos under the age group 15-24 and 27.84 million in age group 15-30 based on the 2012 census. Combined this sector represents millions of young people who are in school, in actual work, the idle and the unemployed.

According to PM-Kabataan, the youth’s pathway or transition to better future - from schooling to actual work – remained impeded by age-old problems such as high cost of education, unemployment, and precarious working conditions.

Dropout rate, added the group, remained at 6-7% in elementary and high school and much higher at the college level during the last five years.  “Those who cannot survive this transition end up as unskilled laborers which now comprise 32% of employed persons in the country, or into the world of unemployment which is highest, 52%, in age group 18-24,” said PM-Kabataan spokesperson Ryan Bocacao.

He added that this kind of situation produces the countless Mary Jane Velosos, full time and part time laborers in sweatshop enterprises, and the phenomenal rise in the number of batang ina and young parents in the country.

To address this problem the youth group said the government should have been decisive in formulating policies that would establish free education at all levels, bring down the cost of other social services, and in stopping the plague of contractualization in the workplace.

“Unfortunately we haven’t seen progress in policy levels both in education and in the world of work. Lilipas na naman ang isang administrasyon, nadagdagan na naman ang aming edad ng anim na taon, pero narito pa rin kami sa dating sitwasyon na kinalalagyan namin noon,” lamented Bocacao.

PM-Kabataan members come from the ranks of students, out-of-school youth and those who are at work.  The “art attack” protest was their form of expressing their sentiment against the prevailing system in the country and a buildup activity before joining other groups for Monday’s Sona protests.

Workers join counter-SONA rally to slam inequality despite growth

Press Release

July 28, 2014

Workers led by the militant Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), the fighting union Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) and the labor coalition Nagkaisa joined the counter-SONA rally this afternoon. The workers contingent merged with the mobilization of groups Freedom from Debt Coalition and Kontra Pork that marched along Commonwealth Ave. from Tandang Sora at 1:00 p.m. to the Batasang Pambansa. PM chapters in Cebu, Bacolod, Davao and General Santos City held similar actions today.

PM slammed government policies that exacerbated social inequality amidst economic growth. “PNoy’s inclusive growth is rhetoric without results, just like ‘daang matuwid’ that has been exposed as a myth by the persistence of pork barrel and the controversial DAP,” asserted Wilson Fortaleza, PM spokesperson.

As proof of growing inequality, Wilson Fortaleza pointed to the undiminished number of jobless Filipinos in contrast to the inflation in wealth of the rich under the five years of the Aquino administration. “In January 2010, unemployment and underemployment rates were 7.3% and 19.7% respectively and they basically remained unchanged at 7.5% and 19.5% in January of this year. Meanwhile the wealth of Henry Sy, the richest Filipino, ballooned from USD5 billion in 2010, when Aquino came in, to USD11.4 billion this year according to Forbes,” he elaborated.

“How can there be inclusive growth when PNoy allows contractualization to run rampant and the prices of basic commodities and services like rice and electricity to rise unregulated?,” Fortaleza argued.

PM also called for a citizen’s audit of the DAP to investigate any anomalies and patronage in the disbursement of the billions in people’s money and workers taxes.

PM members brought makeshift cutouts of the number “5” to symbolize inaction on worker demands for the last five years. The raised by the group rallyists include: “Ika 5 taong SONA ni PNoy: Busabos pa rin ang Boss!” and “Sa 5 SONA ni PNoy: Walang naituwid na patakaran, Walang naitawid mula sa kahirapan!”

Mga manggagawa, lalahok sa kontra-SONA rally para batikusin ang inekwalidad sa gitna ng pag-unlad

Press Release

July 28, 2014

Lalahok ang mga manggagawa sa pangunguna ng Partido ng Manggagawa (PM), unyong PALEA at ang koalisyong Nagkaisa sa kontra-SONA rally ng mga grupo mamayang hapon. Magmamartsa sila mula sa Tandang Sora hanggang Batasang Pambansa simula ng ala una ng hapon. Ang chapters ng PM sa Cebu, Negros, Davao at General Santos City ay magkakaroon din ng kahalintulad na pagkilos.

Planong batikusin ng grupong PM ang pananatili ng ekwalidad sa kabila ng ipinagmamalaki ng administrasyong Aquino na pag-unlad ng ekonomiya. “Puro salita at walang gawa ang islogan ni PNoy na inclusive growth. Paano matitikman ng mga manggagawa ang kaunlaran kung ayaw ni PNoy na tutulan ang kontraktwalisasyon at hinayaan lang ang pagtaas ng presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin at mga gastusin gaya ng kuryente,” paliwanag ni Wilson Fortaleza, tagapagsalita ng PM.

Kaugnay ng kontrobersyal na DAP, panawagan ng grupong PM na maglunsad ng special audit sa mga pinaglalaan ng pondo sa pamamagitan ng isang independent people’s commission kasama ng COA.

Magdadala ang mga miyembro ng grupong PM ng mga cardboard na numerong “5” upang maging simbolo ng limang taong kawalang aksyon ng administrasyon ni Aquino sa mga kahilingan ng manggagawa. “Sa ika-5  SONA ni PNoy, busabos pa rin ang mga boss. Sa ika-5 SONA ni PNoy, walang naituwid na patakaran at walang naitawid mula sa kahirapan,” pagdidiin ni Fortaleza.

PNoy’s SONA: Long in duration, short on its claim

Press Statement

July 24, 2012

President Benigno Aquino III’s SONA speech may have been the longest in history but it falls short on its claim of historic changes under his administration. The changes instituted are merely superficial not thoroughgoing. No social and economic reform has been implemented in the last two years and none forthcoming. PNoy even lacks the commitment to push for the Freedom of Information bill which should be a plank of his good governance advocacy.

PNoy asserts that good governance is leading to palpable improvements but only social justice will bring concrete change to ordinary peoples’ lives. Glaringly absent from the tons of numbers and data mentioned in PNoy’s SONA are statistics on poverty and hunger. It is no wonder since despite a decade of so-called GNP growth, the number of poor and hungry have remained intractable.

GNP growth only means increasing numbers of ‘Gutom Na Pilipino’ for workers and the poor. From 2003-2009 the economy grew by an average of 4.8% but the number of poor Filipinos increased from 19.8 million to 23.1 million. Poverty will not be dented no matter how many cases are filed against former president Gloria Arroyo and how many of her minions are jailed together with ex-Comelec chief Benjamin Abalos.

Regular jobs and living wages are needed not the conditional cash transfer which is a band-aid solution at best. Among the ASEAN nations, the Philippines has the most persistent incidence of poverty (defined as living on less than US$1.25 a day). We have the highest percentage of slum residents as a percent of its urban population among six Asian countries.

While the employment rate went up, as PNoy insisted, the number of underemployed—those who have work but are still seeking work—has increased from 7.6 million in April 2011 to 7.8 million in April 2012. Even as PNoy remains hardline in the struggle to bring Arroyo to justice, he is nonetheless is soft on the fight for social justice against entrenched vested interests. He was challenged and found wanting on the issue of outsourcing at Philippine Airlines which is the biggest labor dispute in the country. PNoy may have garnered the confidence of investors for the privatization projects under the Public-Private Partnerhip program, but he has earned the ire of workers for his approval of contractualization at the flag carrier.

Truly the real state of the nation is reflected in the lack of jobs, food, housing and justice for the Filipino masses. To tackle the challenges of destitution and joblessness, the anti-corruption campaign of President Aquino will not suffice. The answer lies in taking a new path of development away from the Aquinomics of privatization, contractualization and globalization.

Workers Digest: SONA 2012

“New path of development” called for in counter-SONA

Press Release

July 23, 2012

Several thousand workers will join the counter-SONA protest today to call for a “new path of development” and “alternative economics” as they insisted that poverty and unemployment has not been eradicated despite a decade of economic growth. “The anti-corruption campaign of President Aquino will not solve the problem of destitution and joblessness. The answer lies in taking a new path of development away from the Aquinomics of privatization, contractualization and globalization,” declared Renato Magtubo, Partido ng Manggagawa (PM) chairperon.

Whether it rains or shines, some 1,000 members of PM are ready to join the “March for Alternative Economics” together with the labor coalition Nagkaisa (United) and the multisectoral alliances Freedom from Debt Coalition and Kampanya para sa Makataong Pamumuhay (Campaign for a Humane Life). A total of 7,000 rallyists will march for “alternative economics” starting at 1:00 pm from the corner of Luzon and Commonwealth Avenues then proceed to the Batasang Pambansa.

“It is expected that PNoy will trumpet inclusive growth under his administration. But for workers and the poor, GNP growth only means increasing numbers of ‘Gutom Na Pilipino,’” Magtubo added.

Gerry Rivera, president of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA), said that “Even as PNoy garners the confidence of investors for the privatization projects under the Public-Private Partnerhip program, he has earned the ire of workers for his approval of outsourcing and contractualization at Philippine Airlines.”

Meanwhile PM echoed the criticism of the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) against President Aquino for omiiting the Reproductive Health bill among his government’s priority bills and the House of Representatives for its indifference and utter disregard to the plight of poor and working women.

“This is PNoy’s third SONA and women’s mortality rate has increased to 221 per 100,000 live births in 2011 from 162 per 100,000 live births in 2009.  Besides the fact that the Philippines must lower the maternal mortality rate to 52 per 100,000 live births, the important matter is how the executive and legislative view women’s right to reproductive health care.” explained PM secretary-general Judy Ann Miranda.

“Regular job and living wages are needed not the conditional cash transfer which is a band-aid solution at best. From 2003-2009 the economy grew by an average of 4.8% but the number of poor Filipinos increased from 19.8 million to 23.1 million. Poverty will not be dented no matter how many cases are filed against former president Gloria Arroyo and how many of her minions are jailed together with ex-Comelec chief Benjamin Abalos,” Rivera stressed.

Magtubo reiterated that “Among the ASEAN nations, the Philippines have the most persistent incidence of poverty (defined as living on less than US$1.25 a day). The Philippines has the highest percentage of slum population as a percent of its urban population among six Asian countries.”

Alternatibong ekonomiya, hiling ng manggagawa sa kontra-SONA

Press Release

July 22, 2012

Libu-libong manggagawa ang lalahok sa kontra-SONA na ilulunsad ng mga grupo bukas upang hilingin ang “isang alternatibong ekonomiya” at “bagong landas ng pag-unlad.” “Ang patuloy na kahirapan ng milyun-milyong Pilipino ay di matutugunan lang ng tuwid na landas ng kontra-katiwalian. Ang kailangan ay bagong landas ng pag-unlad palayo sa pribatisasyon, kontraktwalisasyon at globalisasyon,” ani Renato Magtubo, tagapangulo ng Partido ng Manggagawa (PM).

Umulan man o umaraw ay nakahanda ang 1,000 kasapi ng PM upang sumanib sa “Martsa para sa Alternatibong Ekonomiya” na lalahukan ng labor coalition na Nagkaisa at multisectoral alliances na Freedom from Debt Coalition at Kampanya para sa Makataong Pamumuhay. Nasa 7,000 ang kabuuang bilang ng raliyista ang magmamartsa para sa “alternatibong ekonomiya” mula ala una

sa Luzon Ave.

corner Commonwealth Ave. tungong Batasang Pambansa.

“Inaasahan na magpapasikat si Pangulong Aquino sa SONA tungkol sa inclusive growth sa ilalim ng kanyang administrasyon. Pero para sa manggagawa at maralita, ang tanging kahulugan ng GNP growth ay dumadaming ‘Gutom Na Pilipino,’” dagdag ni Magtubo.

Paliwanag naman ni Gerry Rivera, pangulo ng PALEA, “Nakakakuha man ang pamamahala ni PNoy ng kumpyansa mula sa investors, umaani naman ng batikos mula manggagawa ang kanyang pagsang-ayon sa kontraktwalisasyon sa Philippine Airlines.”

“Regular na trabaho at sweldong nakabubuhay ang kailangan hindi CCT na pantawid-gutom lang. Mula 2003 hanggang 2009, umunlad ang ekonomiya ng humigit-kumulang 4.8% pero ang bilang ng naghihikahos na Pilipino ay lumaki pa rin mula 19.8 milyon hanggang 23.1 milyon. Hindi ito magbabago kahit pa ilang kaso ang madagdag kay Gloria Arroyo at ilan pang tauhan niya ang makulong kasama ni Abalos,” diin ni Rivera.