PM Urges Passage of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill

Photo from UPS Cebu

 

In a rally together with the Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN) organizations at the House of Representatives, Partido Manggagawa called on the Congress of the Philippines to urgently pass the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (APP) Bill, as supporters of the measure gathered again to push for its approval.

 

Together with Partido Manggagawa Kabataan and Tara Kabataan, the party stressed that a comprehensive government response is urgently needed to protect young people from early pregnancy.

 

According to Judy Ann Miranda, Secretary General of Partido Manggagawa, the scale of adolescent pregnancy in the Philippines demands immediate action.

 

“Mahigit 500 batang babae ang nagiging ina araw-araw. Ang mga buntis na wala pang 15 taong gulang ay tumaas ng 6.6% sa loob lamang ng apat na taon. Hindi ito mga numero lamang — ito ay aming mga kaklase, kaibigan, at kapatid,” said Red Collado, PM Kabataan spokesperson.

 

Miranda added that too many young people are being pushed deeper into poverty because they lack access to accurate information and adequate support.

 

“Masyado nang maraming kabataan ang nalulugmok sa kahirapan dahil sa kakulangan ng impormasyon at suporta,” she said.

 

Partido Manggagawa said the APP Bill seeks to strengthen protection for young people through comprehensive sexuality education in schools, the establishment of Adolescent Health Centers in every municipality, and the creation of social protection programs to ensure that pregnancy does not end a young person’s future.

 

“Ang APP Bill ay proteksyon — hindi banta. Ang mga paratang na makakasama ito sa kabataan ay nakabatay sa maling impormasyon. Hindi totoo na ilalayo nito ang mga kabataan sa kanilang mga magulang o prinsipyo. Sa halip, binibigyan nito ang kabataan ng tamang gabay mula sa mga guro, magulang, at komunidad,” Miranda explained.

 

She also stressed that the bill aims to ensure that young people have access to accurate information and health services, rather than relying on misinformation that spreads easily online.

 

“Sinasabi ng mga kalaban na mapipinsala nito ang kabataan. Ang sabi namin: nangyayari na ang pinsala — at nangyayari ito sa bawat araw na wala ang batas na ito,” Collado said.

 

Partido Manggagawa reiterated that the passage of the measure can no longer be delayed.

 

“Ang APP Bill ay hindi banta — ito ay proteksyon. Hindi na makakapaghintay ang ating mga kabataan. Tinatawagan namin ang Kongreso: ipasa na ang Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill,” Miranda said.

PRESS RELEASE

March 17, 2026

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

Noise barrage vs corruption resumes amidst climate devastations and Nov 30 prep

 

The White Friday Protest led by the Trillion Peso March Movement (TPMM) resumes today at the EDSA Shrine and other protest centers across the country. Contingents from Partido Manggagawa are participating in the protest centers including the EDSA Shrine.

 

The regular noise barrage, followed by the simultaneous ringing of church bells, forms part of the buildup toward TPMM’s major protest action on November 30.

 

The devastation wrought by Typhoon Tino in Cebu and across large parts of the Visayas and Mindanao has laid bare once again the extreme vulnerability of millions of Filipinos to disasters. Entire communities remain submerged or cut off, with homes, livelihoods, and public infrastructure destroyed. The tragedy has exposed not only the worsening impacts of the climate crisis but also the costly failures of governance — from the misuse of calamity and rehabilitation funds to widespread corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects that were supposed to protect, not endanger, the people.

 

Despite billions poured into flood control programs, substandard projects, ghost dikes, and overpriced drainage contracts have left communities defenseless against heavy rains and storm surges. TPMM condemns this cycle of disaster and corruption, where public funds line the pockets of officials and contractors instead of building real resilience for the poor.

 

TPMM demands immediate relief and justice for all victims of the recent calamities, alongside full accountability for those who profited from public works meant to prevent such disasters. The people’s noise will not stop until corruption and neglect are answered with truth and reform.

Free the Mendiola Detainees! They Stand With Us in the Fight Against Corruption!

 Free the Mendiola Detainees!

They Stand With Us in the Fight Against Corruption!

 

What happened in Mendiola on September 21 was not mere chaos. The anger of the youth and the people is a legitimate response to decades of oppression and plunder by the state and its capitalist allies. Their courage and the forms of protest they chose—no matter how intense or unfamiliar to some—are born out of deep poverty, the tokhang killings that claimed thousands of lives, demolitions and forced evictions, and the systematic looting of the nation’s wealth.

 

The government’s response was once again violence: over 200 were arrested, many beaten and struck with batons, including young people—branded as “criminals,” “rioters,” and “addicts” instead of having their demands heard. Time and again, the state chooses repression rather than addressing the roots of people’s anger and resistance.

 

We condemn this police brutality. All those arrested must be freed immediately, with their rights to legal and medical support guaranteed. Their struggle is not separate from the struggle of every worker and poor person exploited daily under this system.

 

Mendiola is a reminder: the anger is not just that of the youth, but of an entire people long abandoned by the government. As long as power rests in the hands of a wealthy few and political dynasties, the people’s rage will continue to ignite.

 

We stand firmly with the youth, workers, and poor in their fight against poverty and corruption! What we need are genuine political and social reforms—ones that will break the stranglehold of corrupt politicians and greedy capitalists, and pave the way toward social justice.

𝙋𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙜𝙖 𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙖, 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙖 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙖 𝙨𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖 𝙠𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙠𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣!

𝙋𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙜𝙖 𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙖 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙖,

𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙖 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙖 𝙨𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖 𝙠𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙠𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣!

 

Hindi simpleng kaguluhan ang naganap sa Mendiola kahapon. Ang galit ng kabataan at mamamayan ay lehitimong tugon sa dekada-dekadang pang-aapi at pangungurakot ng estado at ng mga kapitalista. Ang kanilang tapang at porma ng protesta, gaano man katindi o kaiba sa ating nakasanayan, ay bunga ng masidhing kahirapan, ng tokhang na kumitil sa libo-libong buhay, ng mga demolisyon at pagpapalayas, at ng sistematikong pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan.

 

Ngunit ang tugon ng gobyerno ay karahasan din: mahigit 200 bayolenteng inaresto, ang ilan pa ay binugbog, pinagpapalo, kabilang ang mga kabataan, habang binabansagan silang "kriminal", "rioters", "adik", sa halip na unawain ang kanilang panawagan. Muli, pinili at pipiliin ng estado ang represyon kaysa sa pagtugon sa mga ugat ng galit at pagkilos.

 

Kinukondena namin ang brutalidad ng pulisya. Dapat palayain ang lahat ng inaresto at tiyakin ang kanilang karapatan sa legal at medikal na suporta. Ang kanilang laban ay hindi hiwalay sa laban ng bawat manggagawa’t maralita na araw-araw inaapi at pinagsasamantalahan sa ilalim ng sistemang ito.

 

Ipinapaalala ng Mendiola na hindi indibidwal na kabataan lamang ang galit kundi buong sambayanang matagal nang tinatalikuran ng gobyerno. Hangga’t nananatili ang kapangyarihan sa kamay ng iilang mayayaman at dinastiya, mananatiling mitsa ang galit ng masa.

 

Patuloy kaming naninindigan sa ipinaglalaban ng mga kabataan, manggagawa, at maralita laban sa kahirapan at korapsyon! Repormang pampultika at panlipunan na babaklas sa dominasyon ng mga pulitiko at kapitalista ang sagot sa problema ng katiwalian at kahirapan.

LGBTQ+ youth event underlines pride in work not just in identity

 

To highlight the participation of LGBTQ+ young workers in Pride Month and underline the call for pride in work not just in identity, Partido Manggagawa (PM), its youth wing PM Kabataan and allied organizations are holding a community event on the this afternoon at the Gawad Kalinga Multipurpose Hall Paradise Heights in Smokey Mountain Tondo.

 

In joining this month’s celebration of Pride, PM demands extending it beyond identity politics, believing that the fight for freedom and equality go beyond state recognition and corporate accolades.   

 

These calls include fair wages in the form of wage hikes and the realization of living wage, freedom of association, regular employment, and better working conditions.

 

“Real Pride means demanding structural change. Pride in work, not just in identity (Pride sa pagawaan, hindi lang sa katauhan),” stated Pavs Pavillon, a LGBTQ+ leader of PM Kabataan.

 

Pavillon added that “Pride, therefore, must go beyond symbols and celebrations of identity. We need to talk about rights on the job — about wages, full employment and decent work for all, dignity, and equal treatment in the workplace.”

 

For decades, wages in all 17 regions in the Philippines stayed below the national poverty threshold, at the same time regular jobs and trade unions are being destroyed by contractualization and other restrictions - including union-busting, intimidation, and killings.

 

Along with these problems we continue to see workplace discrimination every day. For instance, gay workers in one big factory in Calabarzon are forced to cut their hair short, and they’re not allowed to use hairnets as an alternative. Lesbian workers are pushed into heavy lifting tasks just because they “look strong” — with no regard for how menstruation or physical strain might affect them. Even in social activities, LGBTQ+ workers are excluded: there’s funding for company sports fests, dance contests, and more — but anything LGBT-themed is banned.

 

When LGBTQ+ workers are treated as “less than,” it weakens the whole workforce. It justifies low pay, divides workers, and lets management off the hook. Fighting for equality and against discrimination isn’t just for a few — it’s for all of us who want better conditions, fair treatment, and real freedom.

 

Pavillon ended with “This Pride and for the next pride marches, let’s stand and fight together not only for acceptance — but for recognition, equality, and collective action. Because there’s no true liberation if our workplaces and communities are still sites of oppression.”

PRESS RELEASE

Partido Manggagawa Kabataan

 

PRIDE IN WORK, NOT JUST IN IDENTITY

In joining this month’s celebration of Pride, Partido Manggagawa (PM) calls for extending it beyond identity politics, believing that the fight for freedom and equality go beyond state recognition and corporate accolades.   

 

These calls include fair wages in the form of wage hikes and the realization of living wage, freedom of association, regular employment, and better working conditions.

 

PM, its youth wing PM Kabataan and allied organizations are holding a community event on the afternoon of June 29 at the Gawad Kalinga Multipurpose Hall Paradise Heights in Smokey Mountain Tondo in commemoration of Pride Month.

 

“Real Pride means demanding structural change. Pride in work, not just in identity (Pride sa pagawaan, hindi lang sa katauhan),” stated Pavs Pavillon, a LGBTQ+ leader of PM Kabataan.

 

Pavillon added that “Pride, therefore, must go beyond symbols and celebrations of identity. We need to talk about rights on the job — about wages, full employment and decent work for all, dignity, and equal treatment in the workplace.”

 

For decades, wages in all 17 regions in the Philippines stayed below the national poverty threshold, at the same time regular jobs and trade unions are being destroyed by contractualization and other restrictions - including union-busting, intimidation, and killings.

 

Along with these problems we continue to see workplace discrimination every day. For instance, gay workers in one big factory in Calabarzon are forced to cut their hair short, and they’re not allowed to use hairnets as an alternative. Lesbian workers are pushed into heavy lifting tasks just because they “look strong” — with no regard for how menstruation or physical strain might affect them. Even in social activities, LGBTQ+ workers are excluded: there’s funding for company sports fests, dance contests, and more — but anything LGBT-themed is banned.

 

When LGBTQ+ workers are treated as “less than,” it weakens the whole workforce. It justifies low pay, divides workers, and lets management off the hook. Fighting for equality and against discrimination isn’t just for a few — it’s for all of us who want better conditions, fair treatment, and real freedom.

 

Pavillon ended with “This Pride and for the next pride marches, let’s stand and fight together not only for acceptance — but for recognition, equality, and collective action. Because there’s no true liberation if our workplaces and communities are still sites of oppression.”