Commemorating Andres Bonifacio’s birthday

READERS CORNER
Vicente C. Dilem

BAGUIO CITY -- In commemoration of the 148th birthday anniversary of Gat Andres Bonifacio, the Kilusang Mayo Uno will be conducting an educational forum on Nov. 29 at the BBCCCC conference hall (near University of Baguio), Assumption Rd, from 1 to 5p.m.

Gat Andres Bonifacio’s ideals and aspirations for the Filipino people are very much alive in today’s generation as the majority of Filipinos are experiencing worsening poverty, oppression and injustice.

The Filipino people are still yearning for freedom from the current enslaving situation: widespread hunger, homelessness, unemployment, low wages and others.

The continuing rise in commodity prices, amid the scanty increase in minimum wages essentially exposes the failure of the regional wage boards in fulfilling their avowed mission of ensuring a “decent standard of living for workers and their families.”

This also points to government neglect of its constitutional duty to recognize “the right of labor to its just share in the fruits of production” as stipulated in Sec. 3 Art. XIII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

In the Cordillera, the estimated family living wage as of April 2011 is P947- far cry from the P272 minimum wage and even miserable with its real wage value of P156.

The ILO’s “Global Wage Report,” which was released last December 2010, states that the country is among Asian countries which registered one of the highest cuts in the real value of wages.

This means that wages decreased in relation to total income, that there is growing wage inequality, and that the purchasing power of workers has been severely reduced. The current wave of price increases continues that further erode the real value of wages and workers’ purchasing power.

Alongside, the severe financial and economic crisis now wracking the world capitalist system has brought labor “informalization” sharply into focus. Loss of jobs, widespread contractualization, multi-skilling, retrenchments and working-hour cuts and the shift towards “self-employment” became the most marked symptoms of one of worst global recessions.

Among countries in Southeast Asia, the Philippines has one of the highest – if not the highest – levels of informalization. Statistics show that out of a total 35 million employed, 48% or 16.8 million belong to the informal.

Contractualization is also extensive, with 7 out of 10 firms implementing combinations of flexible work arrangements. It is quite safe to presume that the overwhelming majority of the country's formal sector workers are now contractuals.

This reflects how large numbers of employers have exploited the desperate situation of workers and forced greater flexibilization of work arrangements alongside lower wages, low levels of self-organization, lack of social security, and extremely hazardous working conditions.

Left without an ever-expanding industry to absorb peasants continuously displaced by increasing land monopoly in the countrysides, an abnormally-large labor surplus then becomes an enduring feature of the underdeveloped /export-oriented and import-dependent Philippine economy.

In this circumstance, we will mark the day with a multi-sectoral forum to call for significant wage hike and demand to end contractualization, hunger and poverty. It shall provide a venue for sharing of real situations of the different groups in the marginalized sector that would result to a united stand and sustained campaign against contractualization.

Some 150 participants from the workers, urban poor, youth and students, teachers, government employees, non-government organizations and the church in Baguio City and Benguet Province are expected to join in this forum. Speakers will be invited to provide inputs to the forum.

The forum aims to sustain and strengthen unity among workers and sectors as they renew their commitment to promote and defend the dignity and rights of Filipino workers. The theme for the day is “ Manggagawa at mamamayan magkaisa, palakasin ang laban sa makabuluhang dagdag sahod at seguridad sa paggawa.”You may contact Nida (09165711286) or Daisy (09209198424) for further details.(Vicente C. Dilem is the regional coordinator of Kilusang Mayo Uno Cordillera)