Statement of National Confederation of Labor

Sa Unang SONA ni Pangulong Duterte:


IGIIT ANG AGENDA NG URING MANGGAGAWA!
ITULAK ANG BURGESYA SA REPORMA NG KAPITALISTANG EKONOMIYA!




Atrasadong Burgesya, Atrasadong Kapitalismo. Ipinagmamalaki ng nakaraang Rehimeng Aquino na nagawa nitong maging matatag ang ekonomiya ng bansa. Marahil ang tinutukoy lang nito ay ang paghahatian ng mga lokal na kapitalista sa yaman mula sa Public-Private Partnership (PPP) sa industriya ng kuryente, tubig, edukasyon, pabahay, transportasyon, komunikasyon, atbp. Sa halip na angkinin at pagyamanin ng gobyerno ang pagbibigay serbisyo-publiko sa mahihirap na Pilipino ay ipinaubaya ito sa mga “di-industriyalisado at atrasadong” kapitalista na kampante na sa dambuhalang tubo sa negosyong ito. Kaiba sila sa mga “abanteng” kapitalista sa pagmamanupaktura (pagkain, damit, atbp.) na hindi permanente ang tubo dahil sa nagbabagu-bago ang pangangailangan (demand) ng publiko at laging naka-depende sa lawak o kitid ng pamilihan. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit ang mga dating malalaking lokal na kapitalista ay inilipat ang kapital sa pagni-negosyo sa serbisyo-publiko at tinalikdan ang pagni-negosyo sa pagmamanupaktura dahil sa masikip na pamilihan at hindi makampante sa tubo – ganito ang karakter ng atrasadong kaptitalismo sa bansa.

Atrasadong Burgesya, Atrasadong Ekonomiya. Ang pamamayani ng non-industrial na burgesya sa bansa ang ugat kung bakit marupok at di-istable ang ekonomiya. Ang malalaking lokal na kapitalista (Henry Sy, Jonh Gokongwei, Lucio Tan, atbp.) ay nakapundar sa economic fundamentals ng Service Oriented Economy (SOE) na siyang itinataguyod ng gobyerno. Ang mga atrasadong kapitalistang ito ang direktang nakikinabang sa paglago ng ekonomiya, hindi ang uring manggagawa!

Service Oriented Economy, Marupok na Ekonomiya. Ang patuloy na paghihikahos ng uring anakpawis ay epekto ng atrasado at marupok na ekonomiya bunga ng pagsasa-pribado ng mga pampublikong serbisyo, kung saan nagiging mataas ang presyo ng serbisyo (kuryente at tubig, gamot at ospital, edukasyon at iba pang gastusin sa araw-araw) kumpara sa sweldo ng bawat mahihirap na pamilya. Upang maibsan man lang ang bigat ng karalitaan nila, isinagawa ng gobyerno ang pamumudmod ng pera sa mahihirap na tinawag na Conditonal Cash Transfer (CCT) o 4Ps. Ito ay hindi para sa layuning ganap na wakasan ang kahirapan, kundi magamit pa sa layuning pulitikal na sa bawat eleksyon ay laging gamit ang pangako ng pag-ahon sa karukhaan ng tao, kung kaya CCT ang solusyon ng mga pulitiko. Kung seseryosohin ng gobyerno ang pagsugpo sa kahirapan, ang dapat gawin ay ang pagbibigay ng oportunidad sa trabaho at hindi ang  limusan kada buwan ng gobyerno ang mahihirap.

Trabaho at Makataong Sweldo. Ito ang kailangan ng tao, ng mahihirap na pamilya. Pero ang ganitong pangarap ay hindi matatagpuan dito sa bansa, kundi sa ibayong dagat. Hindi sana isyu ang “contractualization” o "endo" kung maraming trabaho o ang trabaho ang naghahanap sa tao at hindi ang kabaliktaran nito. Ayon sa SWS, sa kasalukuyan ay nasa 9.1 milyong Pilipino (21.4% ng labor force) ang walang trabaho. Sila ang direktang nakakaranas ng kahirapan. Idagdag pa dito ang may mga trabaho ngunit kulang naman ang sweldo (wala sa minimum wage).

AGENDA NG URING MANGGAGAWA:
CHARTER CHANGE PARA SA INDUSTRIALIZATION!

Sa unang SONA ni Pangulong Duterte, hamunin ng uring manggagawa ang bagong luklok na Administrasyon na isulong ang adyenda ng manggagawa at lapatan ng polisiya sa pamamagitan ng Charter Change thru Constitutional Convention. Sa aksyong ito lamang mapapatunayan ni Digong ang islogan na “Change is Coming!” at “Tapang at Malasakit” para sa mamamayan.

Sa buod, ganito ang Adyenda ng Uring Manggagawa:

Bagong Patakarang Pang-ekonomiya para sa pagpupundar ng Industrialization bilang economic fundamentals ng bansa. Pangunahing layunin nito ang pagpu-produce ng mga kalakal para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng lipunang Pilipino at makasabay sa pandaigdigang kalakalan. Kaakibat nito:

1.    Pagtatayo ng mga Nuclear Power Plant. Pagtitiyak na eco-friendly ang disenyo nito batay sa makabagong teknolohiya upang maiwasan na makapaminsala sa buhay at kalikasan. Sa pamamagitan nito, magiging istable ang suplay ng elektrisidad at mapapababa pa ang presyo ng kuryente para sa mga consumers. Higit sa lahat ay ang kapasidad nitong tugunan ang mataas na demand ng enerhiya (megawatts) na kinakailangan ng industriyalisasyon. Bahagi nito ang pagbabasura sa Epira Law, at sa halip ay ipatupad ang nationalization ng mga Power Plants sa bansa.

2.    Shifting ng Kapital mula sa Negosyo sa Serbisyo Publiko tungo sa Industriyalisasyon. Limitahan lamang sa piling serbisyo ang pamumuhunan ng mga negosyante, kung gayon, dapat akuin ng gobyerno ang pagbibigay ng batayang serbisyo sa mamamayan tulad ng edukasyon, kalusugan, pabahay, tubig, kuryente, transportasyon at komunikasyon. Ang PPP ay dapat ituon na lamang sa pagpupundar ng manufacturing/heavy industries at mining industry kung saan magkatuwang ang malalaking lokal/internasyunal na kapitalista at gobyerno. Ipatupad ang 100% ownership ng mga foreign investors na mamumuhunan sa bansa basta’t ito ay para sa pagpupundar ng mga Heavy/Technological Industries at ibabalik ang pagmamay-ari sa gobyerno makalipas ang 25 taon.

3.    Itransporma ang Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT). Hindi ito ang pangmatagalang solusyon sa karalitaan ng maraming Pilipino. Trabaho at makatarungang sweldo ang lulutas sa kanilang kahirapan. Ang "pagbibigay limos" sa mahihirap ay hindi lang pangungunsinti sa pagiging “tamad” na kultura, kundi nagagamit din sa katiwalian at sa mga layuning pulitika. Sa halip na dole-out, dapat tumbasan ng paggawa ang salapi na tinatanggap nila kada buwan (cash for work). Kung gayon, ang 65 bilyong pisong budget kada taon na nakalaan sa CCT o 4Ps ay sapat ng kapital (capital investment) ng gobyerno para sa pagpupundar ng Heavy Indusries upang tugunan sa hinaharap ang mga pangangailangan sa Panlipunang Serbisyo at Produksyon ng Kalakal.

4.    Ibasura ang Partylist Law, Ipalit ang 30% Direktang Representasyon ng Manggagawa sa Lehislatura. Ang Party List ay tuluyan nang nasalaula sa pagkakaluklok ng mga di-tunay na kinatawan ng sektor at nagamit lang bilang “backdoor” ng masasalapi at pulitiko, kung kaya, dapat nang ibasura ang batas na ito. Sa halip, ipalit dito ang pagsasa-konstitusyon ng direktang pagtatalaga sa Kongreso at sa mga lokal na lehislatura mula sa 30% kinatawan ng uring manggagawa. Ang proseso ng pagtatalaga sa kinatawan ay dapat na tunay na ihinahalal ng mga lehitimong organisasyon mula sa mga lokalidad hanggang sa pambansang antas.

5.    Cooperative Farming bilang Repormang Agraryo. Ang “repormang agraryo” ay hindi dapat sa anyo ng indibidwal na pamamahagi ng lupa, sa halip ay ang kooperasyon ng buong myembro ng komunidad para sa Cooperative Farming. Mangyayari ito sa tulong ng gobyerno sa pamamagitan ng subsidyong kapital mula sa gobyerno na siyang pangangasiwaan ng mga kooperatiba sa kolektibong sistema.

6.    Katiyakan sa Paninirahan ng mga Manggagawa. Karamihan sa mga manggagawa sa lungsod ay umuupa na dagdag pasanin sa pang-araw araw na gastusin nila. Hindi lamang ang mga “informal settlers” ang dapat pagtuunan ng pampublikong pabahay ng gobyerno, kundi ang pagtitiyak din sa paninirahan ng mga industriyal na manggagawa na siyang tagapaglikha ng kalakal ng lipunan ngunit napagkakaitan na makibahagi sa tubo ng kani-kanilang employer. Kaugnay nito ang pagsagka sa patuloy na pagtaas ng renta sa residential, paglimita sa komersyalisadong negosyo sa pabahay, at  pagpapataw ng mataas buwis sa institusyunal na mga simbahan upang ang estado ay magkaroon ng kongkretong rekurso para sa pampublikong pabahay.

7.    Regularisasyon ng mga manggagawa sa sektor ng industriya, pampublikong serbisyo, at komersyo sa pamamagitan ng pagbabasura sa Herrera Law. Ipatigil din sa mga LGUs ang paggawa ng ordinansa na nagbabawal na mag-unyon at pagkakait sa karapatan ng manggagawa sa mga Industrial Zones. Tiyakin ng gobyerno, sa pamamagitan ng batas, ang pagbibigay proteksyon (sa anyo ng subsidy) sa mga manggagawa sa panahong nahaharap sila sa pagkatanggal sa trabaho bunga ng krisis o pagsasara ng negosyo at/o pagbabawas sa trabaho. Ang paglilimita sa naglalakihang sweldo ng nasa managerial position (pribado at gobyerno) ay dapat limitahan sa pamamagitan ng batas na nagtatakda ng “wage cap” upang makapaglaan ng pondo sa mga manggagawang matatanggal sa trabaho. Kaakibat nito ay buwagin ang Regional Wage Board na nagdudulot ng diskriminasyon sa uring manggagawa at tiyakin ang makatarungang pasahod sa lahat. Ipagbawal ang mga Agency para sa mga domestic workers at OFWs, sa halip ay ayusin ang serbisyo ng DOLE at POEA at palakasin ang mga employment agency ng mga LGUs.

8.    Isabatas ang Death Penalty sa mga Corrupt Officials sa Gobyerno. Ang pangungulimbat sa kabang-yaman ng lipunan ay dapat isama bilang heinous crime. Ang pagsugpo sa katiwalian ay kongkretong magagawa sa pamamagitan ng ganitong parusa. Sa panukalang ito, maiibsan ang pangambang magiging gatasan lang ng mga tiwaling opisyal ang pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno sa mga Government Owned Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) sa sektor ng Pampublikong Serbisyo.

~ Pahayag para sa Unang SONA ni Pangulong Duterte / 22 Hulyo 2016 ~
National Confederation of Labor
ATU ° NFL ° KMM ° NUBCW ° KASAMA ° UFSW ° SOCIALISTA ° LAWIN ° CAW

Lipa Declaration

Last Wednesday, I was privileged to join close to a thousand brave souls who trekked to the Archbishop's House in Lipa City, Batangas to affirm and declare the call to end the moribund political and economic systems and effect a national transformation.

The delegates came from different religious groups and political persuasions and are united under National Transformation Council.

Former Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Vidal laid down the role of the Catholic Church in previous EDSA Revolutions while Bishop Arguelles of Lipa gave a fiery speech calling for system change. Rev. Arturo Corpuz of United Church of Christ in the Philippines and the Dr. Kamil Unda of the Bangsamoro community also gave equally spirited speeches.

The Shrinekeeper's Prophecy

Buddhist Temple in Fukian Province

In the spring of 1988, Cory went to China on a state visit. While there, she made it a point to reconnect with her ancestral roots. She went out of her way to travel to the southeastern fringe of China, to Hongjian village of Fujian province where her forebears came from. 

In typical chinese fashion of ancestor-worship and in violation of her Catholic faith, Cory offered incense to her chinese forebears in a local shrine. Before leaving the shrine to return to official business, Cory was approached by an elderly woman who appeared to be the shrinekeeper. 

Poverty Continues In the Philippines

Under PeNoy, the gap between the rich and the poor widens

The other day, I got an email which is actually a transcription of an interview that TV5 with one Rosalinda Garcia, indigent in Tondo.

I was so moved by the story.  Her story is something that the whole nation should know.  Poverty remains an issue after four years of Aquino rule.

This made me thinking, there must be truth in Aquino's campaign slogan "Kung Walang Kurap, Walang Mahirap."   The impoverishment of more Filipinos, which is at highest historical levels, is because of the prevalent corruption.  All these news on PDAF and DAP and how Aquino and his allies have been stealing and misusing people's money are all but answers to the nagging question of why poverty continues in the Philippines.

Scrap CCT

DSWD's Dinky-Doo

It was long boring day at the office. I was browsing the Web for news related to DAP, DBM and those pertaining to or referencing Aquino and Abad. I came across DBM’s National Expenditure Program for 2014.

I’ve always been critical of DSWD’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program which was immensely expanded under this administration. I am curious to see how much of taxpayers’ money were allotted to this wasteful program.

For FY 2014, the expenditure program for CCT is as follows:

2014 CCT Budget

Section 3(1) of the department’s expenditure program provides that “DSWD shall submit, either in printed form or by way of electronic document, to the DBM. Copy furnished the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance, quarterly reports on the releases and utilization of CCT funds, status of implementation per program component, and the list of beneficiaries per LGU.” My guess however, is that, we the people, will never be granted access to these reports.

I’ve been hearing complaints from beneficiaries that they are not getting their allocations regularly. Cash grants sometimes arrive after every month or quarterly. Another information I got said that it took 2 years for some beneficiaries in Sta. Maria, Bulacan to receive their first cash grants. Worse, they only got cash grant equivalent to 1 year or half of what they are supposed to get. If these are true, then it’s about time to rethink that effectiveness of CCT, better still, scrap it altogether.

Going back to the breakdown of CCT Program allocation, why is there a specific item for “Salaries and Wages” in the amount of 3.379 billion pesos? Does this mean that salaries and wages of DSWD come from the CCT allocation and not from DSWD budget for personnel? How many DSWD employees are directly working for the CCT? Isn’t Ps 3.379 billion pesos too much? As of 2014 the total number of employees of DSWD is 2,388. If we assume that all of them are involved in CCT, average salary will be Ps. 117,915 per month!

Also, what's "Bank Service Fees" for?  How come it will eat up Ps. 550 million of the budget allocated for the program?

I also find dubious are the allocations for "Monitoring/Evaluation" and "Administrative Expenses", totalling almost Ps. 730 million.

Dinky Soliman has a lot of explaining to do on this one.

PeNoy Big Brother

German company to supply surveillance gadgets to RP

While the news headline is busy with DAP scandal, Supreme Court deliberation on the constitutionality RH Law, the controversial Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsa Moro,  the wily PeNoy managed to conclude a negotiated purchase of intelligence and surveillance equipments from a German company, Rohde & Schwarz.


The equipments and peripheral gadgets codenamed Spectrum will cost a staggering Ps. 135 million of taxpayers' money.  You can just imagine how many classrooms could have been constructed with such amount.

My Choices for Governor

It's officially 2013, an election year.  Instead of listing down my New Year's resolution, I will deviate from this tradition and post a list of candidates that I want to win.

Here are the gubernatorial candidates that I would like to win:

Ilocos Sur - Ryan Singson

La Union - Tomas Dumpit

Pangasinan - Amado Espino, Jr.

Batanes - Telesforo Castillejos

Cagayan - Alvaro Antonio

Isabela - Faustino Dy III

Nueva Vizcaya - Pedro Algeria, Sr.

Abra - Cecilia Seares Luna

Benguet - Nestor Fongwan

Ifugao - Denis Habawel

Aurora - Gerardo Noveras

Bataan - Albert Raymond Garcia

Bulacan - Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado

Nueva Ecija - Josefina Joson

Pampanga - Lilia Pineda

Tarlac - Pearl Pacada

Zambales - Hermogenes Ebdane

Cavite - Junvic Remulla

Quezon - David Suarez

Rizal - Casimiro Ynarez, Jr.

Marinduque - Jose Antonio Carrion

Occidental Mindoro - Ma. Amelita Villarosa

Palawan - Jose Alvarez

Romblon - Bernie Fondevilla

Camarines Norte - Renato Unico, Jr.

Camarines Sur - Luis Villafuerte

Catanduanes - Araceli Wong

Masbate - Antonio Kho

Sorsogon - Raul Lee

Antique - Exequiel Javier

Guimaras - Felipe Hilian Nava

Iloilo - Fernejel Brion

Cebu - Pablo John Garcia

Negros Oriental - Gary Teves

Siquijor - Orville Fua

Northern Samar - Jose Ong, Jr.

Samar - Sharee Ann Tan

Southern Leyte - Roger Mercado

Camiguin - Jurdin Jesus Romualdo

Lanao del Norte - Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo

Misamis Occidental - Herminia Ramiro

Misamis Oriental - Yevgeny Vincent Emano

Davao del Sur - Marc Douglas Cagas IV

South Cotabato - Arthur Pingoy, Jr.

Agusan del Sur - Adolph Edward Plaza

Dinagat Islands - Glenda Ecleo

Surigao del Norte - Sol Matugas

Surigao del Sur - Johnny Pimentel

Truth About Pills and Abortifacients

Stand up for life; No to RH Bill

Yesterday, the House of Representative passed on second reading the controversial RH Bill on a vote of 113-104.

One of the most contentious provisions of the bill is government subsidy on contraceptives, many of most are considered as abortifacients.

Below is an interesting Q & A regarding birth control pills, their abortifacient effects and long-term effects on a woman's body:

Batangas Solon Expresses Support for CJ Corona

Rep. Mandanas of Batangas

Disrespect and defiance to Supreme Court order strengthened Cebu school not to follow TRO.”

Chief Justice Renato Corona particularly cited the now infamous Facebook bikini case involving a Cebu school’s decision to ignore a TRO issued by a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge allowing five (5) female students and parents from taking part in their high school graduation after their so-called “bikini photos” were uploaded in social networking site Facebook.

Tiongson Should Be Cited for Contempt

Tiongson lied when she said she doesn't know Tupas

PS Bank Katipunan branch manager Annabelle Tiongson lied to the impeachment court when she declared under oath that she doesn't know lead prosecutor Niel Tupas, Jr.

Tiongson, like Tupas, hails from Iloilo. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada even emphasized that Tiongson's uncle who served as vice-governor, was a known political ally of the Tupases. When pressed by Estrada if Tiongson has met Tupas prior to her taking the witness stand, she answered in the negative. Estrada, unconvinced, simply gave an irritated grin.

THE FACE-OFF, SLEEPING BEAUTY AND THE LONG WEEK OFF

Childsh Aguirre earned the ire of Sen. Defensor-Santiago

THE IMPEACHMENT TRIAL - DAY 26, FEB. 29, 2012
by Wilfred Avila

A quarter past two in the afternoon, the Senator-Judges filed into the Senate Hall to begin the 26th day of the longest impeachment trial ever. Well, to be precise, the only impeachment trial ever in Philippine historywith Senator-Judge Pia Cayetano leading the prayers for a wisdom filled afternoon. Twenty Senator-Judges were present for this hearing.

As the trial began, Minority Floor Leader Sen. Alan Cayetano stood first and said that he undertook some research related to immunity of Supreme Court Justices. He wanted the Senate, as a body, to further discuss the Supreme Court's resolution barring employees from testifying in the impeachment hearings and releasing of documents required in the deliberations. He further said that he prepared a legal study based on cases he researched. He ended by stating that this could be taken up in a caucus.

Dear ABS-CBN Advertiser

In disservice to the Filipino

Dear ABS-CBN News Programs Advertiser:

I am a sensible and patriotic Filipino, and, as such, I am making the informed decision not to support companies that advertise on any news and public affairs programs of ABS-CBN network, which include ANC. I feel that you have the right to know why you may be losing my business.

The hosts, news anchors and reporters on ABS-CBN public affairs and news programs are notoriously partisan and biased. At times, it can even be considered offensive and prejudicial. While ABS-CBN network slogan may be “In service to the Filipino,” their reporting is anything but. The truth is that ABS-CBN news and public affairs programs are helping to further the political and economical divide amongst the Filipinos by shamelessly editorializing news in favor of one political group.

Chief Justice Corona Fights Back

SC Chief Justice Corona dares Noynoy Aquino

CJ Renato C. Corona
17 February 2012

I am calling on our President not to meddle, pre-empt and influence the Senate Impeachment Court. There is a process to these impeachment proceedings, and that is written in our Constitution and the Rules of the Senate.

Wasn't it you who chose this step and brought it to the Senate? Let us not allow this hearing to go far from the Impeachment Court and use media to judge me. Let us allow the case to move forward based on the Rule of Law and its rightful process. As you once said, "it is best if we all watch and keep silent first."

Vote on SC TRO Draws the Line

PS Bank's petition for TRO on FCDU was granted by SC

Last February 9, 2012, the Supreme Court en banc decide to grant PS Bank's petition for temporary restraining order (TRO) on the public disclosure of Chief Justice Corona's dollar accounts with the bank.

The issuance of TRO triggered a debate among senator-judges on whether the Supreme Court can exercise its innate power to do judicial review on matters being discussed by the impeachment court.

Onslaught of Democratic Institutions

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

The fools at the Palace shifted full gear its attack on our democratic institutions. After prostituting and undermining the independence of the House of Representative and besmirching the Supreme Court, the path of destruction of democratic institutions now points to the Senate.

And the specific target of the onslaught - Senate President himself, Juan Ponce Enrile.

Bank on this - Osmena Makes No Sense

Senator Osmena

Day 14 of the Corona impeachment hearing included the testimony of PS Bank president Pascual Garcia III on the subpoenaed alleged deposit accounts of the chief justice.

The bank president was asked by the impeachment court to present documents pertaining to 10 deposit accounts. However, Garcia came with information on five of the accounts. Apparently, the other five are foreign currency deposit accounts.

Garcia explained that there are two laws that separately govern peso and foreign currency deposit accounts, with the latter being more stringent when it comes to confidentiality.

Changing Winds; Changing Views

The Times They Are A-Changin'

Come writers and critics

Who prophesize with your pen

And keep your eyes wide

The chance won't come again

And don't speak too soon

For the wheel's still in spin

And there's no tellin' who

That it's namin'

For the loser now

Will be later to win

For the times they are a-changin'.

DAY 11 - IMPEACHMENT TRIAL - February 2, 2012

by Wilfred Avila

Day 11 of Corona impeachment

What a day this has been.

I'll put the end of this post right here at the beginning. It was dud for the Prosecution! Having established that, let's move on!

The trial began at 2:04 pm. It began with the sun shining so brightly outside the Senate building and the air was totally humid. The Prosecution must have felt the heat enveloping them.

PALEA Takes Case to USTR

PALEA picket line

Philippine Airlines Employees' Association (PALEA) scored the Aquino government at a hearing of the United States Trade Representative Office in Washington DC. At the said hearing, PALEA officers faced-off with Labor Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz.

PALEA charged that the Aquino government "has abused its power to assume jurisdiction of strikes thereby curtailing workers’ rights to freely organize and bargain collectively."

Below is PALEA's press statement:

TanDem's Statement on Corona Impeachment

Tanggulang Demokrasya

There's been a growing number of organizations voicing out their opposition against the railroaded impeachment of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. Among these organizations is Tanggulang Demokrasya or TanDem.

TanDem is a network of different people's organizations and Netizens. It has been on the forefront of unearthing the cheating and manipulations done in the country's first automated election system.