PRESS RELEASE: When the lives of workers improve, the entire economy will also improve – Nagkaisa!

Photo from Manila Bulletin

In the ongoing hearing today regarding the legislated wage hike in the Lower House of Congress, members of the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition urged lawmakers to prioritize the demands of workers for a P150 or higher wage increase, instead of yielding to the threats of employers that it will destroy the economy.

 

The group reminded lawmakers of the provision in the Constitution stating the "primacy of labor over capital" as a guiding principle in deciding on this contentious issue. They pointed out that for over three decades, employers have persistently opposed it, while the minimum wage of workers remained below the poverty line.

 

The group stated this position while staging a protest in front of the Batasan complex, along with the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), Kapatiran ng mga Unyon at Samahang Manggagawa (KAPATIRAN), Marikina Workers Alliance, National Federation of Labor (NFL), Partido Manggagawa (PM), TESEF, and Unified Filipino Service Workers (UFSW).

 

But before the protest could even start, the police dispersed them away from the Batasan gate and blocked their return, led by Precinct 6 commander, Col. Castillo. The labor groups condemned the actions of the police, stating that this was the second time they had done so, the first being against the youth just two weeks prior.

 

They called on the leadership of the PNP and Mayor Joy Belmonte to stop the police abuse at the Batasan, as it shows a lack of respect for freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.

 

The group asserted further that their petition for wage increase is not anti-MSME or anti-business because any additional income in the pockets of workers is returned to the economy through consumption in small businesses, compared to the huge profits of businesses that only go towards extravagant expenses of capital owners.

 

NAGKAISA! also mentioned that the economy of workers relies solely on wages, so while most survive in the formal sector and self-reliance in the informal economy, a wage increase has a more positive impact on the entire economy compared to if the majority of workers remain impoverished.

 

They noted that the highest minimum wage of P610 here in NCR has a real value lower than the national poverty line of P13,797 in 2023.

 

Aside from the wage increase in the private sector, NAGKAISA! supports a separate proposal for a wage hike for public sector employees.

 

NAGKAISA! also seeks to reform the wage-setting system in the country through legislation because for the past 35 years under RA6727 and regional wage boards, the majority of workers in the country have remained poor, which goes against the Constitution's mandate for the right to a living wage and a rising standard of living for their families.

February 28, 2024

NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

MEDIA ADVISORY: PICKET FOR WAGE HIKE @ BATASAN TOM

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NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

27 February 2024

PICKET FOR WAGE HIKE @ BATASAN

 

Members of the House Committee on Labor and Employment will start deliberating on bills seeking legislated wage hike tomorrow. NAGKAISA leaders will attend the hearing, while coalition members will be with labor groups for a joint action outside the House of Representatives.

 

WHEN: February 28, 2024

TIME: 8:30 AM

WHERE: South Wing Gate of the Batasan Complex

 

Photo ops available

 

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For details/queries you may contact: Ruby Monge @ 09176380247

Labor group to ECOP: You also need to feel how bad life is for ordinary workers

 

We can try to understand how employers feel about the pending wage hike proposals in Congress. But their permanent opposition to any proposal since time immemorial speaks volumes about their regard for the lives of ordinary workers in our country.

 

We see them constantly opposed to any wage hike proposal at the level of regional wage boards since 1989, and against the legislated wage proposals since 1999.

 

In other words, they will cry wolf against any wage proposal, but neglect to mention how workers suffered a life of poverty. They won’t tell us that GDP and labor productivity more than doubled during the last three decades, but real wages of workers remained flat.

 

In fact, even as they up the hype of apocalyptic death of local industry and el niño of foreign investors, the fact remains that minimum wages all over the country fall under the national poverty threshold of P13,797 per month for a family of five. The same is true when economic managers assure everyone that GDP will remain within the 6% trajectory. That won’t change the fact that after 35 years under the regional wage boards, guided by thousands of pages of Philippine Development Plans, more than 20% of our population remains poor, or close to half, according to the latest SWS survey on self-rated poverty.

 

The problem is that employers don’t feel this way as they always view wage hikes, union rights, and equitable distribution of wealth as anti-business. But we don’t require them to have a change of heart, in the same way workers won’t stop asking for fair share in the social wealth they have been creating for centuries. 

 

Why then is legislative action necessary for wage hikes? Simply put, the regionalization of wages under RA6727 was an epic failure. The highest wage rates, 35 years after, still fall short of meeting the poverty threshold. Moreover, regional wage policies have not succeeded in attracting investments to the country's poorer regions, despite being one of the law's intended objectives. There is also a low level of investment despite this low wage regime incentives.

 

We understand ECOP's emphasis on micro-enterprises as a central argument against wage hikes. However, framing the issue as a choice between inflation, unemployment, and small businesses overlooks the broader benefits of ensuring workers receive fair compensation. We maintain that our call for legislated wage hikes is not intended to harm small businesses; rather, we believe that the positive ripple effects of higher take-home pay extend further than keeping wages at starvation levels.

27 February 2024

Social movements march against chacha, link up with church groups

Labor organizations and social movements on Thursday participated in the ecumenical gathering “PANAGHOY, PANALANGIN AT PANININDIGAN LABAN SA CHARTER CHANGE” event led by the Koalisyon Laban sa Chacha held at Plaza Roma, directly in front of the Manila Cathedral and the Commission on Elections office.

 

But before converging at Plaza Roma, sectoral and community groups gathered from eight in the morning at the Missionary Charity beside the Delpan Sports Complex in Tondo and marched towards Anda Circle to link up with other contingents.

 

Carrying the banner "Sahod Itaas, Cha-Cha Iatras" were the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Partido Manggagawa (PM), and Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), all conveners of the NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition. Meanwhile, KALIPUNAN is comprised of groups Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Kilos Maralita (KM), PAKISAMA, PM, SENTRO, and World March of Women.

 

Also joining the march were the Akbayan party, the human rights group In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement or iDefend, Tindig Pilipinas, UPAC and DAMPA.

 

Urban poor residents from Parola and Baseco in Tondo, particularly those from Isla Puting Bato and Slip 0, called on the government to prioritize and fund housing programs for the poor instead of pushing for chacha which offers land ownership to foreign citizens. Women and youth participants also voiced their demands for wider social services and the eradication of violence.

 

In their related statements, the groups asserted that the Constitution is not the reason why many Filipinos remain poor. They argued that the real problem lies in the concentration of wealth in a few hands and the dynastic governance of the country's leaders.

 

They also claimed that charter change was never the people’s urgent concerns such as inflation, wage hike and unemployment, hence there is no reason for lawmakers to prioritize it.

 

The Koalisyon Laban sa Chacha is a coalition of church, sectors, and community groups launched on February 14 to oppose charter change while simultaneously advocating for the people's demands, deepening democracy, and good governance.

 

Following the mass, the coalition conducted their program including sectoral speeches, during which they called on the Comelec to completely halt the people’s initiative. Part of the action also included commemorating the People Power that began on February 22, 1986.

 

They vowed to continue opposing cha-cha until the people’s initiative and even the convening of ConAss for economic charter change are completely stopped. 

Photos and videos can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/

NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (KALIPUNAN)

February 22, 2024

MEDIA ADVISORY: Social movements march to anti-chacha assembly with church

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NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (KALIPUNAN)

22 February 2024

 

Social movements march to anti-chacha assembly with church

 

But before joining church groups in Plaza Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral, NAGKAISA!, KALIPUNAN, Akbayan, iDefend, UPAC, and DAMPA will organize a COMMUNITY MARCH from Missionary Charity in Tondo Manila, bringing along with them their sectoral agenda and collective opposition to chacha.

 

WHEN: February 22, 2024

TIME: 8:00 AM

WHERE: Community/sectoral assembly at Missionary Charity (cor. Delpan Sports Complex). And then to Anda Circle to link up with other contingents.

 

Photo ops available

 

----------------

For details/queries you may contact:  Judy Ann Miranda @ 09175570777; Ruby Monge @ 09176380247

MEDIA ADVISORY: Anti-chacha community march by workers, women and poor tomorrow

Request for coverage

NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (KALIPUNAN)

21 February 2024

Anti-chacha community march by workers, women and poor tomorrow 

But before joining church groups in Plaza Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral, NAGKAISA!, KALIPUNAN, Akbayan, iDefend, UPAC, and DAMPA will organize a COMMUNITY MARCH from Missionary Charity in Tondo Manila, bringing along with them their sectoral agenda and collective opposition to chacha. 

WHEN: February 22, 2024

TIME: 8:00 AM

WHERE: Community/sectoral assembly at Missionary Charity (cor. Delpan Sports Complex). And then to Anda Circle to link up with other contingents. 

Photo ops available

----------------

For details/queries you may contact:  Judy Ann Miranda @ 09175570777; Ruby Monge @ 09176380247

House must now deliberate on wage hike as Senate passes P100 version—Partido Manggagawa

The group Partido Manggagawa (PM) stated that the Senate approval of the P100 legislated wage hike is a welcome relief. “We will wait for the House of Representatives if they can walk their counterpart bills which are higher than the Senate’s. Huwag sanang ang grasya ay maging bato pa kung aatras ang Kamara. Magagalit ang manggagawa. The battle now shifts to Batasan,” declared Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and a Marikina City councilor.

 

The group also asserted that all workers, formal and informal, will gain whether directly or indirectly from the legislated wage hike, contrary to the claims of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) that only 10% of “formal workers” will benefit.

 

“Minimum wage earners will get the P100 wage hike in full. Other workers in the formal sector will gain a portion of P100 through what is called wage distortion—wages above the minimum will have to be adjusted since the floor was raised. And workers in the informal economy will also benefit since formal workers with more purchasing power will patronize their products and services. It is ordinary wage earners—not rich professionals or capitalists—who buy from street vendors, eat in carinderias, ride jeepneys and tricycles, and purchase farmers’ and fishers’ produce in wet markets. In fact, formal and informal workers live together as one family so how can they not enjoy the wage hike?,” Magtubo.

 

He lambasted Sergio Ortiz-Luis of ECOP “for feigning concern for workers when in truth he just doesn’t want profits reduced through a wage hike.”

“Ortiz-Luis is peddling fake news. Let us be evidence-based with the numbers. The latest Labor Force Survey shows that 49.2%, about half, of the total 50.5 million labor force, are 24.8 million workers employed in private firms. Of which, one fifth or 4.1 million are minimum wage earners. Another 13.8 million workers, about a quarter or 27.4% of the labor force, are self-employed with no employees. Majority of them are informal workers like street vendors and tricycle drivers while a minority are middle-class professionals like doctors and lawyers. Therefore, three quarters of the labor force or more than 30 million workers stand to benefit from a wage hike. Ortiz-Luis is being disingenuous as he is actually defending the interests of the one million employers or 2% of the labor force,” Magtubo expounded.

 

He added that “In fact, even employers will in the end take advantage of a wage hike as aggregate demand in the economy will rise. Workers’ wages are entirely consumed to buy their families’ necessities, unlike capitalists who hoard part of their profits as savings or use it to obtain luxuries from abroad. This is what happened for the past two years: the economy prospered, and inflation and unemployment went on a decline after two successive minimum wage hikes in all regions. Wage hikes are good, not bad, for the economy and all workers.” 

STATEMENT ON SENATE APPROVAL OF P100 WAGE HIKE

 

The Senate approval of the P100 wage hike is a welcome relief. We will wait for the House of Representatives if they can walk their counterpart bills which are higher than the Senate’s.

 

Huwag sanang ang grasya ay maging bato pa kung aatras ang Kamara. Magagalit ang manggagawa.

 

The battle now shifts to Batasan.

19 February 2024

Wage Earners and Aleng Nena Share Economic Benefit from Higher Wages – Partido Manggagawa

 

Unlike in business where income is retained by employers either as capital for reinvestment or as profit to sustain lavish lifestyles, workers' wages circulate directly into the local economy, bolstering the income of neighborhood stores as noted in a recent report published in a leading newspaper.

 

This is according to Partido Manggagawa (PM) which, together with the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition, continues to press for the passage of the P100 and higher wage hike bills in both Houses of Congress despite permanent opposition from the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

 

Today the Senate is poised to pass the P100 increase in minimum wage on third and final reading, while the Lower House has yet to act on the pending P150 and P750 wage hike for workers in the private sector, as well as the P33,000 entry level monthly salary for public sector workers.

 

The more than P8-B sales generated by neighborhood sari-sari stores in 2023, as reported by analytics group Packworks, “reinforces our claim that a uniform increase in national minimum wage would neither kill micro enterprises nor lead to massive unemployment,” said PM Chair Renato Magtubo.

 

This report, he added, also disproves ECOP’s ‘catastrophe’ scenario for small businesses once minimum wages are increased by P100, or higher. “To the contrary, Packworks’ analytic research pointed to escalating sales transactions between neighborhoods from 2022-2023, coinciding with slight adjustments in minimum wages ordered by the regional wage boards during that time,” Magtubo said.

 

The report also found no correlation between inflation and the sales trend in sari-sari stores, belying further ECOP’s sensational ‘wage hike = high inflation’ economic blackmail. Inflation slid down to 2.8% in January 2024 from 8.7% in January 2023 based on official statistics reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

 

Considering this positive trend, Magtubo anticipates further boost in sales transactions for Aleng Nenas from significant wage increases, citing an earlier study showing that 94% of consumers rely heavily on neighborhood stores for their retail needs. With approximately 1.3 million sari-sari stores nationwide, 75% of which are owned by women, these establishments play a crucial role in sustaining local economies.

 

Drawing from his experience as a former union president, Magtubo underscores the symbiotic relationship between workers and sari-sari stores. He notes, "Workers often rely on 'utang-bayad-utang-bayad' transactions with their Aleng Nenas. Thus, their capacity to pay and buy more directly impacts on the viability and sustainability of neighborhood stores."

 

In effect, elaborates Magtubo, “Absent regular support from the government, it is more evident that the transfer of income from wages of formal labor is what sustains the sari-sari stores, and consequently, Aleng Nena’s self-employment in the informal economy.”

 

Magtubo concludes by affirming the labor movement's stance that legislated wage hikes of P100 or higher are not only justified but also beneficial to the national economy. He calls for an end to fear-mongering tactics employed by the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP).

19 February 2024

All workers will benefit from a wage hike—Partido Manggagawa

 

Contrary to the claims of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) that only 10% of “formal workers” will benefit from the P100 wage hike bill pending at the Senate, the group Partido Manggagawa (PM) asserted that all workers, formal and informal, will gain whether directly or indirectly.

 

“Minimum wage earners will get the P100 wage hike in full. Other workers in the formal sector will gain a portion of P100 through what is called wage distortion—wages above the minimum will have to be adjusted since the floor was raised. And workers in the informal economy will also benefit since formal workers with more purchasing power will patronize their products and services. It is ordinary wage earners—not rich professionals or capitalists—who buy from street vendors, eat in carinderias, ride jeepneys and tricycles, and purchase farmers’ and fishers’ produce in wet markets. In fact, formal and informal workers live together as one family so how can they not enjoy the wage hike?,” explained Rene Magtubo, PM national chair and a Marikina City councilor.

 

He lambasted Sergio Ortiz-Luis of ECOP “for feigning concern for workers when in truth he just doesn’t want profits reduced through a wage hike.”

 

“Ortiz-Luis is peddling fake news. Let us be evidence-based with the numbers. The latest Labor Force Survey shows that 49.2%, about half, of the total 50.5 million labor force, are 24.8 million workers employed in private firms. Of which, one fifth or 4.1 million are minimum wage earners. Another 13.8 million workers, about a quarter or 27.4% of the labor force, are self-employed with no employees. Majority of them are informal workers like street vendors and tricycle drivers while a minority are middle-class professionals like doctors and lawyers. Therefore, three quarters of the labor force or more than 30 million workers stand to benefit from a wage hike. Ortiz-Luis is being disingenuous as he is actually defending the interests of the one million employers or 2% of the labor force,” Magtubo expounded.

 

He added that “In fact, even employers will in the end take advantage of a wage hike as aggregate demand in the economy will rise. Workers’ wages are entirely consumed to buy their families’ necessities, unlike capitalists who hoard part of their profits as savings or use it to obtain luxuries from abroad. This is what happened for the past two years: the economy prospered, and inflation and unemployment went on a decline after two successive minimum wage hikes in all regions, except Davao Region in 2023. Wage hikes are good, not bad, for the economy and all workers.” 

February 18, 2024

P100 wage hike will be a blessing not catastrophe

 

The labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) countered employers’ doomsday scenarios for the economy once a legislated wage hike is passed. “A P100 wage hike will be a blessing not a catastrophe for the economy. For the past two years, minimum wages were raised in all regions, except BARMM for this round, and yet inflation and unemployment went on a decline. The economy benefited and did not suffer from salary increases,” argued Rene Magtubo, PM national chair.

 

The group welcomes the proposed P100 increase in minimum wages nationwide which the Senate will deliberate on third reading on Monday. “We would have wanted it to be higher and across-the-board but still an additional P100 in workers’ pockets will be an immediate relief as the cost of living is around P1,200 a day,” Magtubo stated.

 

PM is calling on the House of Representatives Labor Committee to deliberate on the pending wage bills. “As surveys have repeatedly shown, Filipinos want solutions to high prices and low wages, not amendments to the Constitution. Let’s get to work,” Magtubo demanded.

 

He added that “ECOP head Sergio Ortiz-Luis is singing an old tune. They cried the same dire predictions in 2022 and again in 2023 when organized labor demanded wage hikes. Inflation in 2022 was 5.8% but now it is down to 2.8%. Similarly, unemployment has decreased from 5.4% in 2022 to 3.1% as of December last year.”

 

“In Metro Manila, the minimum wage hike in 2022 and 2023 was P33 and P40, respectively, or P73 in total. Firms did not shutter and MSMEs did not go under. Where is the catastrophe? On the contrary, the economy has gained from wage hikes as the increased purchasing power meant greater demand and bigger production for firms in industry and services,” Magtubo explained.

 

He continued that “As theory and studies show, a moderate salary raise need not lead to inflation or retrenchment as employers can just absorb the higher labor costs by reducing their profit. So, we call on Sergio Ortiz-Luis, share the wealth with the workers who created it in the first place.” 

February 16, 2024

 

Nagkaisa! Presses the Lower House to Raise Wages Higher than What the Senate Could

 

With the Senate getting closer to passing on third reading the proposed P100 wage increase, the Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition now calls on the House of Representatives (HOR) to get their own version of the bill moving and raise wages higher than what the Senate could.

 

Pending before the HOR are bills seeking a P150 and P750 across-the-board wage hikes for private sector workers, and P33,000/month entry level for public sector workers. Today, a bill was also filed for a P50,000 salary base for teachers.

 

If the HOR can create a mountain out of a molehill, like what it did for a more complicated process of revising the Constitution, then they can do the same for the wage hike bills and in correcting the defective wage setting mechanism in the country.

 

The P100 wage proposal which passed the second reading in the Senate today falls short of the P150 originally promised and a far cry from what was needed to save minimum wage earners from the poverty wages imposed upon them by all the regional wage boards.  The measure is also for minimum wage earners only.

 

Still, we welcome it as a form of relief, and a good start as well to correcting the problems created by the regional wage setting mechanism. Once legislated, this should be followed by reforming the wage setting mechanism, which both the House and the Senate should initiate, rather than waste their time on charter change. 

NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

15 February 2024

BROAD COALITION VS CHA-CHA LAUNCHED

 

Various people’s organizations and religious groups launched Wednesday, February 14, a coalition against a renewed push for Charter change (Cha-cha) which they said will not solve the country’s problems, contrary to its proponents.

 

Koalisyon Laban sa Cha-cha — convened by Bishop Jose Colin M. Bagaforo of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, Bishop Jonel Milan of the K4Philippines Intercessors Movement, Ms. Minnie Anne Mata-Calub of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, of Tindig Pilipinas, Josua Mata of Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, and Justine Balane of Akbayan Youth. — denounced the fresh moves to revise the 1987 Constitution as “selfish.”

 

“Our Constitution is robust but not fully implemented and completed with the necessary implementing laws. The leaders we entrusted with power do not fully implement the Constitution and provide necessary implementing laws because of selfish agenda,” the coalition said.

 

It also refuted claims of lawmakers campaigning for Cha-cha that the Constitution is to blame for
chronic poverty and that its economic provisions are too restrictive for foreign investments.

 

The group vowed to uphold the Constitution, particularly its social justice provisions, and to protect the sanctity of processes to amend or revise the Charter so that these will not be used to exploit people.

 

As it traced the opposition to previous Cha-cha attempts, the coalition said there is no reason to change the Constitution now, especially under a president “in denial of the corruption and human rights abuses of his father's dictatorial regime.”

 

‘True unity’

 

Bishop Bagaforo, who chairs the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace and heads Caritas Philippines, called the current push for Cha-cha “questionable.”

 

“We view attempts to alter the Constitution, especially with questionable motives and limited public participation, as threatening our nation's well-being,” Bagaforo said.

 

He continued, “The 1987 Constitution is not a political plaything. It was crafted after a dark period to serve the Filipino people, upholding human dignity, human rights, and the common good. We echo the CBCP's stance: Any revision must adhere to these moral principles.”

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), an ecumenical fellowship of non-Roman Catholic denominations in the country, also rejected the current push for Cha-cha, saying it will not help people.

 

“It will open up the economy to further foreign exploitation and foreign military basing. The former will further mire the people in poverty while the latter will compromise Philippine sovereignty,” Jennifer Ferariza-Meneses, NCCP’s vice-chairperson for women, said.

 

Hontiveros hailed the “true unity” of people’s organizations and religious groups joining forces against Cha-cha despite having come from different walks of life.

 

“Ito ang tunay na pagkakaisa: Ang pagkakaisa ng taumbayan na lalaban para sa kapakanan ng nakararami, hindi para lang sa interes ng iilan,” she said.

 

The senator urged people to join the coalition and other groups against Cha-cha as she underscored the need to further strengthen the campaign against this attempt to tamper with the Constitution.

 

“Pagod na tayo sa pagtangis dahil sa mga nasaktang puso at napakong pangako,” Hontiveros said. “Kaya pupunasan na natin ang ating luha at buong-loob na papasanin ang krus ng laban kontra sa Cha-cha para ang ating bayan ay maging tunay na bayang magiliw.”

 

Focus on true needs of Pinoys

 

Fr. Antonio Labiao, Caritas’ executive secretary, said that instead of tinkering with the Constitution, the government should instead work to eradicate corruption, protect the environment, break political dynasties, and ensure electoral integrity.

 

“A just and equitable society for all Filipinos cannot be achieved through self-serving Charter changes, but through a genuine commitment to the people’s welfare. We urge the government to fulfill its duty and prioritize the needs of its citizens,” Labiao said.

 

Josua Mata of Nagkaisa Labor Coalition and Kalipunan ng Kilusang Masa said what the people truly need are living wages, jobs and rights.

 

“Kung wala dito ang puso ninyo, malamang kapangyarihan at kayamanan lang ang habol ninyo!” Mata said. “We urge our legislators to prioritize policies that would address the chronic poverty amidst the widening gap of income inequality in the country.”

 

Akbayan Youth chairperson Justine Balane said student councils, Sanggunian Kabataan and youth leaders all over the country are rising up against Charter change, which he said will “short-change” the youth.

 

“The youth rejects a future where the elite have unlimited years in power, our economy is owned by foreign billionaires, and the people are starved of their human rights,” Balane said. “Walang pakinabang ang kabataan at mag-aaral sa cha-cha. This trapo-led charter change will only short-change our future.”

“In the face of our nation's pressing problems, present Charter Change initiatives are divisive, wasteful and unnecessary. We urge our politicians to put solving our people's hunger, poverty, and poor education first!” said Ging Quintos Deles of Tindig Pilipinas and Buhay Ang EDSA Campaign Network.

 

Koalisyon Laban sa Cha-cha vowed to sustain its efforts to defend democracy. “We are Filipinos. We have the responsibility, courage, and fervor to strive for the governance of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace in this generation and future generations,” it said.

 

Photos can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/pfbid0dm6214WyUYrZUgo9tQC3BAid3KuEcUBvCSF67xRcc1CvDR1zkknzTnFmQkSDt5ckl

PRESS RELEASE

February 14, 2024

Advance basic sectors’ agenda, not charter change for the rich and foreign capital

 

Members of the NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition staged another protest in front of the Senate on the eve of Valentine's Day against charter change (chacha), simultaneous with the Senate's ongoing investigation into reported anomalies in the gathering of signatures for the people’s initiative (PI) to amend the Constitution.

 

Joined by Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa (KALIPUNAN), the two groups urged the Senate and the House of Representatives to prioritize the immediate needs of the working people, such as increasing workers' wages, lowering the prices of goods, jobs crisis, combating poverty and violence, including those against women, and addressing the climate crisis, which is the biggest global problem today.

 

“Ang dapat pusuan ng mga mambabatas ay wage hike at pagkamit sa living wage, hindi ang chacha para sa mayaman at dayuhan," said Partido Manggagawa (PM) Secretary General Judy Ann Miranda, challenging the Senate to finally pass the proposed P100 wage hike bill, which was already reported in plenary by Committee on Labor Chair Sen. Jinggoy Estrada last week.

 

Miranda emphasized that the same should be done in the House of Representatives, where bills proposing P150, P750 and P33,000/month for public sector workers wage hikes as well as the abolition of regional wage boards are pending, instead of leading a fake people’s initiative.

 

Furthermore, creating green and climate jobs to address chronic unemployment and climate crisis is a new social imperative that Congress needs to decisively address, said Miranda.

 

Meanwhile, Josua Mata, one of the conveners of NAGKAISA! and Secretary General of the Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa (SENTRO), stated that even the ongoing Senate hearings on economic charter change not only consume time but also divert attention from the real problems of the masses because the blame is placed on the Constitution rather than on the unequal distribution of wealth and dynastic governance in our country.

 

"The Constitution did not hinder us from developing our own industries. But we don't even have an industrial policy. In fact, foreign interest prevented us from doing so through the dictates of the IMF-WB and WTO for liberalization, deregulation, and privatization. But why are we blaming the Constitution now,” asked Mata to the proponents of economic charter change.

 

Mata also warned that opening up charter change in many ways could also lead to disregarding its provision prohibiting the entry of nuclear arms into the country, especially when the same is not strictly enforced in the case of the entry of US military hardware into the country.

 

This is a reaction to reports that the Philippines is expecting the arrival of nuclear-capable BraHmos supersonic missiles imported from India for P21 billion. "Is there a plan for the Philippines to become a nuclear power while the majority of Filipinos remain poor?"

Photos can be accessed at PM FB page: https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/posts/pfbid02Zi4mJTniMUU3EHTybNhUKHqFZv3EeZUs2fpK17pP7DNkq2QDLikFcVeMeHnDmzYNl

NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

February 13, 2024

Press Conference tom of Church Groups & People’s Movements Broad Coalition to Oppose Charter Change

 MEDIA ADVISORY

KOALISYON LABAN SA CHACHA!

Church Groups, People’s Movements Form Broad Coalition

to Oppose Charter Change

February 14, Wednesday, 9AM

4th floor Conference Room, Arzobispado de Manila, Intramuros, Manila

 

Contact Person: Jing (+63 939 330 6179) & Wilson (+63 917 817 8263)

 

Various church groups and people's movements and organizations will hold a press conference to launch Koalisyon Laban sa ChaCha, a new broad alliance to campaign against the push for Charter Change (ChaCha).

 

The coalition comprises more than 30 member groups committed to upholding the constitution and promoting the interests and welfare of the Filipino people.

 

It also seeks to protect the sanctity of democratic processes and oppose any forms of charter change, especially those that aim to deceive and undermine the will of the people.

 

Joining the press conference are convenors and leaders of the group namely Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo/San Carlos Bishop Gerry Alminaza (CBCP Social Action, Justice and Peace/Caritas Pilipinas), Bishop Jonel Milan (K4Philippines Intercessors Movement), Ms. Minnie Anne Mata-Calub (National Council of Churches in the Philippines), Ms. Teresita Quintos Deles (Tindig Pilipinas/Buhay ang EDSA Campaign Network), Mr. Josua Mata (NAGKAISA Labor Coalition/KALIPUNAN ng Kilusang Masa), Justine Balane (AKBAYAN Youth) and Senator Risa Hontiveros.

 

Photo opportunities will be made available.

ADVISORY: Workers rally at Senate today vs chacha

MEDIA ADVISORY

Request for coverage

13 February 2024

 

NAGKAISA! Labor Coalition

KALIPUNAN

Kalipunan ng mga Kilusang Masa

 

Invites the media to cover our anti-charter change rally at the Senate as it resumes its committee investigation tomorrow, on the anomalies attending the conduct of the people’s initiative (P.I.)

 

WHEN: February 13, 2024 (Today)

TIME: 9:00 AM

WHERE: The Philippine Senate in Pasay City

 

Aside from opposing chacha, Nagkaisa! and Kalipunan also call on the Senate and the whole Congress to attend to the more pressing issues such as the intensifying cost-of-living and climate crises, rather than spoiling its time attempting to revise the Constitution.

 

 

Photo ops available.

—————

For details contact: Judy Miranda @ 09175570777

Workers rally vs chacha at Senate on Tuesday

Media Advisory

February 11, 2024

Partido Manggagawa

 

Workers rally vs chacha at Senate on Tuesday

 

Building on two previous demonstrations at the Senate, a bigger contingent of workers will return on February 13 (Tuesday) morning to express their opposition to charter change. The protest coincides with a hearing on the controversial people’s initiative.

 

The rally is also a follow up to the successful unity ride against chacha today.

 

Workers are calling on the Senate to pass the proposed P100 wage hike and other pro-labor and pro-people bills instead of acting on the Resolution of Both Houses.

 

Photo opportunities will be available.

 

Focus on Amending the 'Doble-Plaka' Law, Not the Constitution – Rider Groups Assert

 

Rider groups, on Sunday, embarked for another Unity Ride from the Commission of Human Rights to the People Power Monument. Their aim: to oppose efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution, arguing that the time and resources allocated by Congress to this effort would be better directed towards passing legislation that safeguards and promotes the interests of marginalized communities, including riders.

 

Representatives from Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (Kagulong) and other rider groups participating in the protest emphasized the importance of addressing proposed changes to RA 11235 or the Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act, commonly known as the ‘Doble-Plaka’ law. This law is resented strongly by the motorcycle riding community prior and until its enactment in March 2019, prompting former President Rodrigo Duterte to temporarily suspend its implementation.

 

“The distraction posed by charter change (cha-cha) efforts could potentially impede the much-needed amendments to the Doble-Plaka law, especially with the attention of lawmakers divided between the people's initiative and the upcoming 2025 national and local elections,” Kagulong emphasized in a statement to the media.

 

Senator JV Ejercito, a rider himself and a passionate motorcycle enthusiast, joined the Unity Ride in solidarity with the riders as he, along with his fellow senators, opposed the House-led people's initiative (PI).

 

Senator JV Ejercito is also the principal author of Senate Bill 159 which seeks amendments to the Doble-Plaka law.

 

Kagulong highlighted the riders' demand for amendments to the oppressive penalties imposed against violators of this law (ranging from P50,000 – P100,000 with imprisonment), as well as the discriminatory aspects of the Doble-Plaka policy to motorcycle riders compared to other vehicle owners.

 

In addition to advocating for changes to the 'Doble-Plaka' law, riders are also pushing for the passage of several bills aimed at recognizing and protecting the rights of platform workers, including delivery riders who often face job insecurity and lack social security coverage.

 

Measures legalizing the operations of motorcycle taxis are also awaiting consideration in Congress.

 

"These are the urgent issues that concern riders. There is nothing about cha-cha in our agenda," Kagulong concluded.

Videos can be accessed at https://www.facebook.com/partidomanggagawa/videos/707444054777286

Kapatiran sa Dalawang Gulong (KAGULONG)

11 February 2024