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 according to Partido Manggagawa (PM), whose members participated in today’s commemoration of the 40th Anniversary of the EDSA People Power under the banner of Siklab and the Trillion Peso March Movement (TPMM).

 

“The spirit of people power must be sustained and further strengthened because it remains the way to achieve genuine democracy that has been smashed up by perennial corruption and dynastic rule,” said Renato Magtubo, Chairperson of PM.

 

Magtubo added: “There can be no decent jobs without a decent government, and reform is meaningless if it does not lead to systemic change.”

 

PM is with TPMM in demanding accountability against all corrupt officials and in pushing for an end to political dynasties and oligarchic control of the economy.

 

He explained that over the past 40 years, successive administrations merely shared responsibility in neglecting the problems of poverty and inequality due to neoliberal policies that favored capitalists over workers, such as labor-only contracting (endo) and cheap wages under the provincial rate system.

 

“The result: the economy grew, but the lives of workers remained below the poverty level. Labor productivity increased by 71%, yet workers’ real wages rose by only 5%. Between 2000 and 2020, the Philippines lagged behind the rest of ASEAN in terms of real minimum wage growth,” Magtubo added.

 

On her part, PM Secretary General Judy Miranda said the spirit of people power must also remain alive among women in order to attain greater freedoms, as they continue to bear heavy burdens in life.

 

She noted that a significant portion of the working-age female population are “fulltime nanays”, while those who are employed face wage gaps and harassment. At home, women carry the responsibilities of childcare and education, food provision, and healthcare.

 

“We thus reiterate our call that all those involved in corruption must be held accountable because the funds stolen from the public treasury should have been utilized for services that women and children need,” Miranda said.

 

Following the commemoration of EDSA People Power, women’s groups are now preparing for the celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8. 

 

Photos can be accessed at FB: Partido Manggagawa

PRESS RELEASE

Partido Manggagawa

25 February 2026