EDSA Is Not the Final Stop for the Working Class

Photo from Inquirer.net

And Edsa ay Hindi Tapos na Pasada para sa Uring Manggagawa

Ang People Power na naganap sa Edsa ay hindi tapos na pasada. Ayon ito sa Partido Manggagawa (PM) na lalahok bukas kasama ng Trillion Peso March Movement (TPMM) sa buong araw na paggunita ng Ika-40 Anibersaryo ng Edsa People Power.

“Kailangang manatili at palakasin pa ang diwa ng people power dahil ito pa rin ang paraan upang makamit ang tunay na demokrasya na sinalaula ng korapsyon at paghaharing dinastiya,” pahayag ni Renato Magtubo, Tagapangulo ng PM. 

Dagdag pa ni Magtubo: “Walang disenteng trabaho kung walang disenteng gobyerno at hindi makabuluhan ang reporma kung hindi tutungo sa pagbabago ng sistema.”

Sa nakalipas na 40 taon ay nag-ambagan lang umano sa pagpapabaya sa problema ng kahirapan at inekwalidad ang ibat-ibang administrasyon dahil sa neoliberal na mga polisiyang ipinatupad na mas pabor sa kapitalista kaysa sa manggagawa katulad ng endo at provincial rate na sweldo. 

“Resulta: Lumago ang ekonomiya subalit naiwan sa ilalim poverty level ang buhay ng manggagawa. Umangat ng 71% ang labor productivity pero ang real wage ng manggagawa ay napako sa 5% lamang. Sa pagitan ng 2000-2020, kulelat ang Pilipinas sa pagtaas ng real minimum wage sa buong ASEAN,” dagdag pa ni Magtubo.

Ayon naman kay Judy Miranda, Secretary General ng PM, people power din ang diwa na dapat manatili sa hanay ng kababaihan para makamit ang mas maraming kalayaan dahil nananatiling mabigat ang dala nilang pasanin sa buhay.

Malaking bahagi ng working age population ng kababaihan ay mga full time nanay, habang sa mga may trabaho ay kaharap naman nila ang problema ng wage gap at harassment, habang sa tahanan ay karga ang problema sa pag-aalaga at edukasyon ng mga bata, pagkain, at healthcare. 

“Nararapat lang managot lahat ng sangkot sa kurakot dahil ang pondong ninanakaw sa kabang bayan ay dapat para sa serbisyong kailangan ng kababaihan,” pahayag ni Miranda. 

Pagkatapos ng komemorasyon ng Edsa People Power ay naghahanda naman umano ang hanay ng kababaihan para sa selebrasyon ng International Women’s Day sa March 8. ###

PRESS RELEASE

24 February 2026

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EDSA Is Not the Final Stop for the Working Class

The People Power uprising at EDSA was not the final stop for the working class. This was the statement of Partido Manggagawa (PM), which will participate tomorrow with the Trillion Peso March Movement (TPMM) in the whole-day commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power.

“The spirit of people power must be sustained and further strengthened because it remains the way to achieve genuine democracy that has been desecrated by 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.”

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 labor policies.

“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.

According to Judy Miranda, PM Secretary General, 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.

“All those involved in corruption must be held accountable because the funds stolen from the public treasury should be used for services that women 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. ###

WHY TRUMP'S ABDUCTION OF MADURO IS A CRIME

 

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally arrested by the United States President Donald Trump.

This arrest sends a clear message: The Trump administration does not recognize international laws that respect the sovereignty of countries. And it plans to dominate Venezuela to exploit and profit from the country's oil. Trump will try to install a leader who is a puppet of the Americans to accelerate the seizure of oil and continue the capitalists' greed for profit.

This kind of interference is nothing new for the United States. US hegemony aims to seize materials like oil for its own interests—that will benefit US capitalists not workers. Iraq before, Venezuela now.

The result of US aggression in other countries is the suffering of the masses. While the US indulges in oil as the lifeblood of production, the process of their monopolization of the market will only accelerate. This will result in the continued stunting of other countries' economies and rising prices of goods, including in the Philippines. Inequality between countries will intensify even more.

Excessive production will also have a massive effect on our environment. This will increase greenhouse gas emissions that will accelerate environmental destruction. This means that countries vulnerable to typhoons and other disasters, like the Philippines, will pay for the excesses of the United States government.

For the Filipino youth, workers and people, the US imperialist meddling in Venezuela and the abduction of their president and first lady is blatant exploitation for their own interests. This will bring nothing good to the masses in the US, Venezuela, and other countries like the Philippines. It will only produce more problems like rising prices of goods and the intensification of typhoons and floods.

Hands off Venezuela. Oil for the people, not imperialist plunder!

Press Statement

January 5, 2026

Lawrence Cusipag

Spokesperson, PM Kabataan

OPPOSE IMPERIALIST AGGRESSION ON VENEZUELA

Partido Manggagawa (PM) strongly condemns Trump’s military strike and kidnapping of President Maduro, First Lady Cilia, and the larger plot of the United States to invade Venezuela to effect regime change, run the country, and retake control of Venezuelan oil.

These acts—whether undertaken directly by the US armed forces, private mercenaries, or proxy actors—represent a grave violation of national sovereignty, international law, and the right of nations and peoples to self-determination.

The use of kidnapping, military invasion, and coercive regime change as political tools exposes the political and economic logic of imperialism: powerful empires believe they can decide the fate of other nations and oppress their people, overthrow governments, and seize natural resources through force.

Venezuela’s oil belongs to the Venezuelan people, not to foreign corporations, war profiteers, or imperial powers seeking to reassert control over strategic resources.

PM rejects all forms of imperialist maneuvers including kidnappings, coups, and invasions, which only deepen instability and suffering for working people.

History has shown—again and again—that imperialist led regime-change operations elsewhere do not bring democracy or prosperity. They bring war, displacement, austerity, union repression, and the plunder of public wealth.

As a workers’ party rooted in international solidarity, PM stands with the Venezuelan working class, trade unions, peasants, and communities who bear the brunt of sanctions, militarization, and economic sabotage. We oppose unilateral actions that bypass international law and undermine peaceful, diplomatic solutions.

This issue also carries urgent lessons for the Philippines and the Global South. Imperialist intervention abroad is inseparable from regional tensions now building up in the Indo-Pacific region - with the plans by the US to increase presence by re-deploying most of its foreign forces to Asia, and forming alliances with other imperialist powers to contain the rising economic and political power of rival China.

Conflicts and wars not of our own making only lead to attacks on workers at home—through rising fuel prices, militarization, shrinking social services, and the prioritization of corporate profits over people’s needs. When oil, gas, and strategic resources are treated as prizes of war, workers everywhere pay the price.

Partido Manggagawa calls on:

               ⁃             Unconditional release of President Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, who is former President of the National Assmbly;

               ⁃             All governments to respect Venezuelan sovereignty and stop all military or covert intervention;

               ⁃             International bodies to uphold international law and reject regime-change operations led by the US;

               ⁃             The American people to defund Trump and the US military industry and rechannel the trillion $ war budget to expand social services;

               ⁃             Workers’ movements worldwide to oppose imperialist wars and resource plunder; and

               ⁃             The Philippine government to pursue an independent foreign policy that rejects alignment with imperial aggression.

No to US-orchestrated regime change elsewhere.

Yes to peace, sovereignty, and workers’ solidarity!

Hands off Venezuela. Oil for the people, not imperialist plunder!

Dinanas ng mga Manggagawa ang Krisis sa Gastusin at Katiwalian nitong 2025

Dalawampu’t tatlong bagyo ang tumama sa bansa noong 2025, at ang bagyong Tino ang pinaka-makapinsala lalo na sa dami ng nasawing buhay. Milyun-milyon ang naapektuhan ng matitinding pagbaha sa iba’t ibang lugar dahil sa sunod-sunod na bagyo at ulan. Malinaw itong sumalungat sa ipinagyabang ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos sa kanyang State of the Nation Address na mahigit 5,000 flood control projects umano ang naipatupad ng kanyang administrasyon. Ang banggaan ng realidad at yabang ang nagpasiklab ng galit ng mamamayan. At sumiklab ang malawakang pagkundena sa korapsyong bumabalot sa pekeng o substandard na flood control projects.

 

Ang iskandalong ito ang nagbunsod ng sunod-sunod na malalaking rali noong Setyembre 21 at Nobyembre 30. Bagama’t mas maliit ang kilos-protesta noong Nobyembre sa NCR kumpara noong Setyembre, mas malawak naman ito dahil maraming lungsod ang nagsagawa ng mga pagkilos. Iba’t ibang sektor ng mamamayan ang galit laban sa korupsiyon ngunit malaking bahagi ng mga pagkilos ay likha ng kilos ng mga estudyante. Sa ganitong diwa, maihahalintulad ang Pilipinas sa mga kilusan sa Indonesia at Nepal kung saan simbolo ang One Piece at isyu ang nepo babies. Natatangi naman ang papel ng Simbahang Katoliko bilang isa sa mga pangunahing tagapag-ugnay at tagapagpakilos ng mga nagpoprotesta—isang kaibahan sa mga anti-korupsiyong pagkilos sa ibang bansa.

 

Natapos ang taon na walang napanagot sa multi-bilyong pisong iskandalo sa flood control. Bagama’t may naibalik na ilang milyong piso at ilang mamahaling sasakyan sa kaban ng bayan, patak lang ito kumpara sa ₱546 bilyon na ginastos para sa halos 10,000 walang kwentang flood control projects mula Hulyo 2022 hanggang Mayo 2025.

 

Ang pagsabog ng isyu ng korapsyon ay nagdulot ng krisis pampulitika sa administrasyon, na nauwi sa pagbibitiw ng House Speaker na si Martin Romualdez, pinsan ng pangulo. Ibinunyag din ng AFP Chief ang umano’y tangkang suhulan ang ilang heneral upang bawiin ang kanilang suporta sa administrasyon sa gitna ng malawakang anti-korupsiyong pagkilos. Lalong tumindi ang bangayan sa pagitan ng pangulo at bise presidente, habang kapwa sila nasasangkot sa kani-kanilang iskandalo. Para sa maraming Pilipino, ang hidwaang pampulitika ay hindi usapin ng uri o ideolohiya, kundi labanan ng mga dinastiyang pulitikal.

 

Bagama’t may mga manggagawang lumahok sa mga anti-korupsiyong protesta, ito ay bilang mga indibidwal at hindi bilang organisadong puwersa. May inisyatiba naman ang ilang unyon na manawagan ng anti-korupsiyong protesta sa Makati noong unang bahagi ng Nobyembre. Ang mga manggagawa ang labis na nag-aambag ng buwis sa kaban ng bayan—kaya sila rin ang dapat pinaka-apektado ng pagnanakaw at pag-aaksaya sa pambansang badyet. Higit pa rito, ang manggagawa at maralita ang direktang tinatamaan ng epekto ng climate change—mula sa kawalan ng sahod dahil sa bagyo hanggang sa matinding init sa lugar ng trabaho. Gayunman, nananatiling hindi pa ganap na naipapakita ng masa ang kanilang galit sa korupsiyon sa anyo ng lantad at malawakang pagkilos.

 

Habang nananatiling mabibigat na usapin ang tradisyunal na mga kahilingan ng manggagawa gaya ng pagtaas ng sahod at pagwawakas ng kontraktuwalisasyon, hindi pa rin sumasabog ang malawakang pakikibaka, taliwas sa nangyari sa anti-korupsiyong protesta. Kasabay nito, hinarap ng mga Pilipino ang matinding krisis sa gastusin, na sumiklab sa galit ng publiko sa kontrobersiyal na pahayag ng Department of Trade and Industry na sapat na diumano ang ₱500 para sa noche buena. Para sa karaniwang Pilipino, ipinakita ng isyung ito na di kayang sabayan ng sahod at kita ang patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin.

 

Ang krisis sa gastusin ang nagpasulong sa kampanya ng kilusang paggawa para sa legislated wage increase. Sa huling sandali, nagbunga ang panawagan ng paggawa nang ipasa ng Kamara ang panukalang ₱200 dagdag-sahod, ngunit sumalungat ito sa ₱100 na bersyon ng Senado na nakabinbin pa mula 2024. Nabigong pag-isahin ng Kamara at Senado ang dalawang panukala, kaya muling napako sa wala ang mga manggagawa nang magsara ang Kongreso upang magbigay-daan sa bagong halal na lehislatura.

 

Matapos mabigo ang legislated salary hike, nagpatupad ang pitong regional wage boards ng umentong minimum wage na mula ₱20 hanggang ₱60 sa ikalawang kalahati ng 2025. Ngunit kahit ang pinakamataas na buwanang minimum wage sa Metro Manila—batay sa karaniwang 22 araw ng trabaho—ay kulang pa sa kalahati ng tinatayang ₱36,200 living wage ng Asia Floor Wage Alliance, na nakabatay sa 3,000-calorie na pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan. Higit pa rito, ang minimum wage sa lahat ng rehiyon ay mas mababa pa sa mismong poverty threshold ng gobyerno. Ibig sabihin, ang mga minimum wage earner ay nananatiling mahihirap kahit nagtatrabaho. Kaya hindi na kataka-takang sumiklab ang galit ng mga Pilipino nang igiit ng mga awtoridad na sapat na ang ₱500 para sa isang simpleng handang pampasko.

 

Magpapatuloy ang inflation hanggang 2026 at uuk-ukin nito ang sahod ng mga manggagawa at kita ng mga maralita. Mananatiling mataas ang presyo ng langis dahil sa digmaan ng Russia sa Ukraine at sa bagong tensiyong binubuo ng US sa Venezuela. Samantala, patuloy na bubulabugin ng climate change ang produksyon sa agrikultura at industriya, na magtutulak paitaas sa gastos sa produksyon. Dahil dito, mananatiling maiinit na usapin para sa mga manggagawa sa 2026 ang kisis sa korapsyon at gastusin. Kung nais ng tunay na pagbabago, kailangang itaas ng mga manggagawa ang antas ng kanilang kolektibong pagkilos sa darating na taon.

 

Paano papanagutin ang mga opisyal, mambabatas at kontratista sa multi-bilyong pisong katiwalian sa flood control projects? Paano ito mangyayari sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang administrasyong kasabwat din sa iskandalo? Ito ang patuloy na hamon sa kilusang anti-korupsiyon.

 

Paano malalampasan ng mga manggagawa ang pag-aalinlangan sa bisa ng sama-samang pagkilos? Magagawa bang pukawin at pakilusin ng kilusang paggawa ang milyun-milyong di-organisadong manggagawa upang ipaglaban ang mga kahilingang tulad ng dagdag-sahod at regular na trabaho? Ito ang nananatiling malaking tanong para sa kilusang paggawa.

 

Ipinapakita ng mga anti-korapsyong protesta na hindi sapat ang ingay sa social media—ang malawakang pagkilos sa lansangan lamang ang papansinin ng gobyerno. Tulad ng napatunayan ng mga pakikibaka sa iba’t ibang panig ng mundo, tanging tuluy-tuloy at sama-samang pakikibaka ang makapagdudulot ng pagbabago ng sistema. Ipinapakita ng mga surbey na umaasa ang mga Pilipino sa mas maayos na 2026. Upang maging totoo ang pag-asang ito, kailangan nating gawing new year’s resolution ang sama-samang pagkilos.

Labor year ender 2025: Workers faced corruption and affordability issues

 

Twenty three typhoons hit the country in 2025, of which Tino was the most damaging in terms of loss of lives. Millions were affected by the heavy flooding in many areas due to the frequent typhoons and rains. This contrasted with the boast of President Bongbong Marcos in his State of the Nation Address about more than 5,000 flood control projects implemented by his administration. The disconnect between expectation and reality unleashed a perfect storm of outrage over the corruption attending ghost or substandard flood control projects.

 

The controversy sparked back-to-back massive rallies on September 21 and November 30. While the November protests were smaller in the NCR compared to that of September, it was, however, more widespread with many cities holding activities. The anger over corruption cut across different classes but much of the energy for the mass actions came from students. In this, the Philippines had parallels to movements in Indonesia and Nepal with symbols like One Piece and triggers like nepo babies. The Catholic Church was also a key coordinator of the movement aside from a major mobilizer of protesters. In this, the Philippines differed from other anti-corruption protests elsewhere.

 

The year ended with no one found guilty for the multi-billion flood control scandal. While several millions and a few luxury cars have been returned to the national treasury, such are a drop in the bucket compared to the P546 billion spent for almost 10,000 ineffective flood control projects from July 2022 to May 2025.

 

The explosion of corruption controversy sparked a political crisis for the administration, with presidential cousin House Speaker Martin Romualdez resigning. The chief of the armed forces exposed alleged attempts to entice generals to withdraw their support for the administration amid the anti-corruption mass actions. The political infighting between the president and vice president escalated even as both were embroiled in their own corruption scandals. For many Filipinos, the polarization is along dynastic lines, not economic class or political ideology.

 

Even though workers joined the anti-corruption protests, they did so as individuals and not as an organized force. Unions did take the initiative in calling for an anti-corruption protest in Makati in early November. Workers in the formal sector disproportionately contribute taxes to the public coffers so they should be among the most affected by leakage and waste in the national budget. Further, workers, both formal and informal, bear the brunt of the impact of climate change—from loss of pay due to typhoons to extreme heat in the workplace. And yet, for workers, pervasive outrage over corruption has yet to be expressed as visible protest.

 

While traditional workers’ issues such as wage hikes and labor contractualization remain pressing concerns, popular struggles have yet to erupt, unlike the anti-corruption protests. Filipinos faced their own affordability crisis as exemplified in the pervasive indignation over Department of Trade and Industry’s provocative P500 budget for a noche buena. The controversy expressed the popular perception that wages and income for ordinary Filipinos have not coped up with inflation.

 

The affordability crisis sustained organized labor’s campaign for a legislated wage hike. At the last minute, labor’s demand succeeded led to the House of Representatives passing a P200 bill which however conflicted with a P100 version in the Senate, which had been pending since 2024. The House and Senate did not reconcile the two wage bills and thus workers were again left with nothing as Congress closed to give way to the newly elected one.

 

In the wake of the defeat of the legislated salary increase, regional wage boards ordered minimum wage hikes ranging from P20 to P60 in the latter half of 2025. Yet, the highest monthly minimum wage in Metro Manila—using the mean of 22 workdays—is still less than half of the Asia Floor Wage Alliance’s estimate of P36,200 living wage based on a 3,000-calorie daily diet per adult. Moreover, the minimum wage in all regions fall below the government’s own poverty threshold. This means that minimum wage earners are working poor. It was thus no surprise that Filipinos flared up in disbelief when authorities insisted that P500 was enough to cover a simple Christmas feast.

 

Inflation will persist into 2026 and will erode the purchasing power of formal and informal workers. High oil prices will be sustained by the war by Russia in Ukraine and a new one brewing in Venezuela by the US. Meanwhile climate change will continue to disrupt agricultural and manufacturing supply chains, pushing production costs up.  Thus, affordability and corruption will remain hot button concerns for workers in 2026. Workers will need to scale up their game if they want change to happen next year.

 

How can officials, legislators and contractors be held accountable for the multibillion-peso corruption in flood control projects? How can this happen under the current administration which is alleged to be complicit in the scandal? This continues to be a challenge for the anti-corruption movement.

 

How can workers surmount their doubts about the efficacy of collective action? Can labor groups inspire and mobilize the millions of unorganized workers to fight for popular demands like a wage hike and regular jobs? This remains the question for the labor movement.

 

As the anti-corruption protests show, only visible mass actions in the streets, not noise on social media, can nudge the government to do something. As protests elsewhere bare, only sustained mass struggles can bring about systemic change. Surveys reveal that Filipinos are hoping for better times in 2026. To make those hopes real, we need to make collective action among our new year’s resolutions. 

31 December 2025