Every year, the first of May is dedicated to honoring and recognizing the hard work of Filipino workers and their significant contributions to the economic and societal development of the country. Oftentimes, people take a step back to relax with their families. Meanwhile, some groups take the opportunity to raise their calls to the streets, which include wage hikes, decreases in the price of goods, rebuke of harsh working conditions, and other issues that violate labor rights.
But little to no avail, it has been the typical setup for a day that is supposed to be dedicated to workers. They still face and suffer from the same problems they have been clamoring against for years as the government continues to turn a blind eye.
Wage Increase, Price Decrease, Not Overseas
According to the IBON Foundation, the family living wage as of March suggests that a family of five in the National Capital Region must earn P1,197 per day to provide for their daily needs, proving that a minimum wage earner can’t provide the necessities and can’t keep up with the rising costs. This also doesn’t account for other regions having lower minimum wages, unlike the capital region.
Earlier this year, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma admitted that a P100 minimum wage hike in the private sector would cause difficulties for some businesses. In addition, Laguesma also announced that workers may opt not to go to work amidst the rising heat index but will not be recompensed.
In addition, a 2023 report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that fisherfolks and farmers are among the poorest sectors in poverty incidence in 2021—the same sector providing basic goods while fighting for equal rights and independence. These sectors also recorded the highest poverty incidences in 2015 and 2018 and are now facing climate problems that challenge production.
Workers are navigating through various challenges just to survive. Trying to budget their minimum income is a punch to the gut as they struggle to sustain their lives in the face of the increasing cost of living and low income. This call has been raised for more than a decade. Apart from this, unemployment and the weakening of the Philippine peso per dollar exchange are already economic concerns that should be addressed.
Other Priorities, Not the Harsh Reality
Instead of addressing the workforce’s concerns, the Marcos Jr. administration has its eyes set on other things.
The government continues to push its ongoing efforts for Charter Change (Cha-cha), which only seeks economic provisions. These provisions aim to boost the country’s economy by easing economic restrictions in the 1987 Constitution, such as foreign ownership in key sectors like public utilities, education, mass media, and advertising, to attract foreign investments.
The government should shift its focus to the welfare of its citizens instead of Cha-cha—a subtle way of selling away the country to foreign owners and business elites. Opening 100 percent ownership and control of key sectors will only induce more pain for Filipino workers, making them prone to abuse where prices could increase, lower wages, and inadequate public services.
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. also announced earlier this month that the April 30 deadline for the franchise consolidation of public utility vehicles (PUVs)—one day before the annual celebration of Labor Day—will be its last as part of the PUV Modernization Program (PUVMP), which started seven years ago.
Single-unit operators are at the forefront of the challenges brought by PUVMP, which has to undergo a tedious process just to keep operations going. One must submit to a cooperative, which also requires one to pay. They are also required to submit documentary requirements. All of this will be challenging for small transport workers whose earnings are only enough to meet the daily needs of their families.
A warm welcome for the first of May, when almost 200,000 jeepney drivers and operators will lose their jobs, let alone the impending transport crisis that follows after the deadline—where there are 28.5 million daily commuters who’ll be affected, particularly students and workers who don’t have the luxury of having alternative means of transportation.
Seizing Opportunities, But Overseas
The harsh circumstances result in some Filipinos setting their eyes overseas for greater opportunities. An estimated 1.96 million Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) from April to September 2022 were reported by PSA, with 26,000 declared immigrants.
For Filipinos to go to such an extent just to find sustainable living conditions depicts how undervalued the workforce is in the country. Other countries offer higher pay and better benefits—a no-brainer for some Filipinos to go abroad. Families and students are even considering moving, living, and studying overseas to escape the reality the Philippines is in today.
The call for labor justice should not be confined to a single day where we honor them for their sacrifices and commitment. Millions of workers are enduring the struggles of the harsh conditions every single day, trying to make ends meet and get a good life. The fight must go on. It calls for challenging the status quo, where the government should be held accountable.
Reforms for better wages, working conditions, and job opportunities can lessen workers' burdens. But other problems, such as exploitation and selling our workforce to foreign investors, still, and will always hinder development and economic independence.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to how many concerns need to be addressed. The government needs to fulfill its responsibility by taking genuine and serious action to provide tangible solutions to ongoing labor issues; it should not counter the people’s interests, but empower the backbone of the economy.
Article: Lourence Angelo Marcellana
Cartoon: Timothy Andrei Milambiling
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