PRESIDENT Marcos yesterday urged the private sector to help and work closely with the national government in fulfilling its labor reform initiatives to uplift the living and social conditions of workers.
In his Labor Day message, the President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improve the lives and uplift the plight of workers and their families to enable them to achieve a more comfortable life.
Marcos reiterated his recognition of the contributions of the workers, who are considered the backbone of the Philippine economy.
He lauded and thanked them for their unwavering service and sacrifice in their respective fields and for their significant contributions to the country’s development.
“I join the Filipino people as we pay tribute to our workers this Labor Day. Our labor force is essential to the sustenance of our soaring economy and also in laying the groundwork for our important industries. That is why we strive to address the cares and concerns of our workers as well as provide them with better opportunities so that they are capacitated to their full potential as active participants in nation-building,” the President said.
He reiterated the importance of unity and working together to usher in a more equitable and prosperous future for all.
“Rest assured that this administration is working conscientiously to provide the opportunity that will uplift the living and social condition of our workers and their families. I also ask all our partners in the private sector to join the government in building on the gains of our governance and labor reforms initiatives so that we can ensure the sustainability of jobs, secure the livelihood of our workers and maintain the productivity of our economy,” he added.
The President, who left for an official visit to the United States last Sunday, kicked off Labor Day celebrations a day early with the launch of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo para sa Manggagawa, the holding of a job fair, and leading the distribution of financial aid under different programs implemented by different government agencies.
Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday renewed his commitment in pushing for legislation that will protect and advance the interests of workers, particularly in connection with the pressing need for a wage hike.
“This Labor Day, I join all our workers in fighting for decent benefits, living wages, and fair working conditions. This is especially crucial as rising costs of goods and utilities continue to hit our people’s pockets to the point that even toiling with a full-time job is no longer enough to support their families’ needs,” Zubiri said in his Labor Day message.
He said there is an urgent need to address the growing gap between wages and expenses, “which is why last March, I filed an across-the-board wage increase act.”
Zubiri was referring to Senate Bill No. 2022 or the Across-the-Board Wage Increase Act of 2023, which seeks to raise wages in the private sector across all regions by P150.
The National Capital Region currently has the highest daily nominal wage rate at P570 (non-agriculture) while the lowest is P316 (non-agriculture) for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
At the onset of the year, the country experienced its highest inflation rate at 8.7 percent, the highest in 14 years.
“We must uplift our workers and ensure that they get the compensation they deserve.
Workers form the foundation of the entire business sector, and without them, our economy and country will fall apart,” he said.
“So, let us give them their due. By providing a true living wage, we empower our workers to support not only their families and their communities, but also the country at large,” he added.
Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva said it is important that the Department of Labor and Employment and the National Economic and Development Authority study the living wage of workers.
He said a locality’s respective Regional Wage Board should also be sensitive to the needs of the workers under their jurisdiction.
“It has to be science-based, research-based. We have to be sure that we know this is an urgent concern and not talk about it only during Labor Day,” he added.
Villanueva said he is pushing for an “employment insurance,” wherein a portion of a worker’s wage will be placed under government care to serve as financial assistance funds in case a worker loses his job.
“At present, we have the Social Security System and the Government Service Insurance System but they only give two months’ worth of wage, which I think is not enough,” Villanueva said.
Sen. Raffy Tulfo filed Senate Resolution No. 476 last February urging the appropriate committee to conduct an inquiry on the plea of workers for just wages.
Tulfo, vice chairman of the Committee on Labor, said the latest wage increase of P33 per day approved in June 2022 was not felt by the workers due to the rising cost of living.
“The present minimum wage is worthless as it does not compensate our workers well due to the rising cost of living. It also cannot provide for a decent living,” Tulfo said.
Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development chairman, said all the proposed legislations filed by his colleagues on wage increases will be tackled when Congress resumes regular sessions next week.
Estrada said these include a review of the present guidelines in imposing wage increases, giving a P150 across the board wage increase, introducing amendments to the Wage Rationalization Act which will impose stiffer penalties to those who will defy the law on wage increase, and fixing the wage rates for workers.
He said they will listen to inputs and comments from the tripartite sectors, labor employment and government, and look forward to mutually beneficial results for both workers and employers.
“The best way to help our workers is to ensure that they have a secure and permanent job.
Thus, there’s a need to balance the needs of workers with the capacity of the employers to ensure job preservation and job creation,” he said.
There are about 21 pending measures in the Senate calling for a wage increase.
Senate minority leader Aquilino Pimentel III said it is time that Congress enacts a legislated wage increase, as he threw his support to a number of proposed measures seeking to raise the minimum wage in the country.
“It’s about time to review the amounts. The legislated minimum wage can live side-by-side with our decentralized wage system. We must ensure that Filipinos are paid a fair wage hike for their work so they can put food on the table and provide a better future for their families,” Pimentel said.
He said the wage increase is long overdue as “there is no way a family of five can live a decent life with the current minimum wage of P570 in Metro Manila.”
Senate deputy minority leader Risa Hontiveros said while the unemployment rate has gone down to 4.8 percent this year compared to 6.4 percent last year, this does not mean that the overall situation of the labor sector has improved.
“The truth is, the number of workers looking for second jobs has increased because their earnings are not enough,” Hontiveros said.
She said the administration and policy makers should promptly hear the pleas of workers and trade unions, and provide them mechanisms that will push for the rights, welfare, and protection of Filipino workers locally and abroad.
ROMUALDEZ VOW
Speaker Martin Romualdez said the House will continue to work on measures seeking to protect workers’ rights and welfare and preserving their jobs and income.
Romualdez said recently-enacted laws that aim to enhance economic growth and improve the investment climate in the country are geared towards job and income preservation, such as the liberalization amendments introduced in the Public Service Act, Retail Trade Law and Foreign Investments Act, which are intended to attract more foreign investments.
“Our workers are the backbone not only of their families but of the economy and the nation. The economy would not be running if not for their tireless toil. This is the reason why we in the House of Representatives always make it a point to attend to their concerns,” he said.
The Speaker said the President’s “investment-diplomatic” mission in the United States are all aimed at sustaining economic growth.
“If we can keep the economy on the high growth path, our workers’ jobs and incomes are not only preserved but we create more economic opportunities for them and their families, and our people in general,” Romualdez said.
WORKERS MARCH
Despite the sweltering summer heat, thousands of workers from different groups, unions, and organizations yesterday marched in the streets of Manila to air their grievances.
Member organizations of the All Philippine Trade Unions (APTU) marched in solidarity from España to Mendiola in a bid to let the Marcos administration know their gripes.
“Under the banner of the APTU, we demand wage hikes; new, permanent, and decent jobs to end ‘endo’ and precarious work; and full respect for labor rights,” said the labor groups Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Nagkaisa! Labor Coalition (Nagkaisa!), and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), among others.
According to TUCP President Raymond Mendoza, they continue to demand an increase in wages amid the soaring prices of basic commodities and services.
“It is a great irony and a grave injustice that while prices continue to skyrocket and economic growth and labor productivity steadily grew, wages of workers stagnated for all these years,” said Mendoza.
“It is only right and just that workers, who sacrifice so much and toil so hard to create the wealth of our nation, get their fair share and reap the fruits of their labor,” he added.
Mendoza issued the call as several wage petitions and proposed legislated pay hikes are currently pending in the regional wage boards and in Congress, respectively.
BMP President Luke Espiritu said workers are still waiting for the passage of the long-sought Security of Tenure Law in a bid to end contractualization.
“It is time for our government to address the increasingly precarious work conditions that millions of contractual workers are facing today,” said Espiritu. “The workers deserve to have regular jobs and the opportunity to negotiate for better salaries and benefits.”
Last July, the Makabayan bloc refiled a House bill banning all forms of contractualization, particularly the illegal practice of “endo.”
KMU Chairman Elmer Labog reminded Marcos that he only has 35 days to address the problem of trade union killings and various violations of the right to freedom of association in the country in time for the June 2023 International Labor Conference.
“May 1 should have been an opportune time for Marcos to finally sit down with workers and discuss, face-to-face and without any liaisons, ways to move forward. Yet again, he has chosen to get on a plane and leave us behind,” said Labog.
“The government has job fairs, kadiwa, and ayuda distribution – all for show and mere band-aid solutions, as opposed to the genuine and concrete labor program and roadmap we have been presenting,” he added.
Labog was referring to the killings of trade union leaders and rampant violations of the right to unionize and other workers’ rights in the country recently looked into by the International Labour Organization – High-Level Tripartite Mission (ILO-HLTM).
GENERALLY PEACEFUL
The PNP said the celebration of Labor Day yesterday was generally peaceful with no major untoward incident reported.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the PNP monitored protests, including in Metro Manila and Calabarzon, but protesters peacefully dispersed later.
“Based on our monitoring since the morning, the rally and public assembly by our countrymen, who wanted to express their sentiments and call the attention of the government, were relatively peaceful and orderly,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said policemen who monitored the protests observed maximum tolerance, in keeping with the directive of PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr.
“We monitored (rallies). They (protesters) self-dispersed and so far, it’s peaceful,” said Fajardo. “Most of these activities (rallies) ended before noon.”
“In Manila, there was a march to Mendiola but we did not record any untoward incident,” Fajardo said, adding that traffic flow was properly managed.
Fajardo said around 1,500 to 2,000 protesters converged at Mendiola to air their grievances.
“Based on our intelligence monitoring, there is no threat for Labor Day,” said Fajardo, adding the PNP maintained coordination with other agencies to ensure no untoward incident would occur. — With Raymond Africa, Wendell Vigilia, Gerard Naval and Victor Reyes
