On International Labor Day, Filipino workers and working class families manage to take to the streets to call for medical solutions to the COVID-19 outbreak in the country and sufficient and prompt aid for all those affected by the 45 days total lockdown in Luzon.
It has been a month and a half since President Rodrigo Duterte announced the implementation of enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in Luzon. Filipinos were forced to stay at home amidst the threat of the coronavirus disease.
May 1 is also the first day of the second extension of ECQ in the National Capital Region, CALABARZON, Central Luzon, Baguio, Benguet, Pangasinan and now included Iloilo, Cebu, Cebu City and Davao City up to May 15. All other areas are placed under general community quarantine (GCQ) or the “new normal.”
In over a month, many of our workers lost their jobs, livelihood or income and many have not received any aid and assistance from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), especially thousands of construction workers from other regions who were stranded in NCR. In the last few weeks, spontaneous protests and gatherings of people in various barangays and city halls seeking for aid and assistance from the government have been reported as they have been forced to stop working.
While there is no big rally that gathers thousands leading to Liwasang Bonifacio or Mendiola, various workers’ groups conducted protests on the streets to register their demands to the local and national government amid the lingering neglect and growing hunger and poverty of the people.
Workers from Tondo, Manila
Workers from Tondo, Manila staged an early lightning rally where they raised their demands and frustration towards the failure of the administration to provide prompt and appropriate response ever since the virus was discovered in January and the disease considered as a pandemic in February.
“January pa lang ay may panawagan na ang mga Pilipino na wag ng papasukin ang mga dayuhan na galing sa China pero ‘di niya agad pinatupad ‘yun dahil mas pinoprotektahan niya pa ang relasyon nila ng China,” said Francisco Manaog, vice president of Harbour Centre Workers Union (HCWU).
[When the Filipinos knew about the possible spread of the virus we,urgently demanded to restrict foreigners from China from entering our country but he did not do it because he is more concerned on protecting his relationship with the Chinese government]
#OustDuterte became a trending topic on social media sites following the administration’s refusal to issue a travel ban on China. Duterte would relent a few days after the backlash, first only banning travelers from Wuhan, Hubei where the virus originated and a direct flight from Hubei has entered the country, and the first two cases in the country were Chinese from Wuhan.
Manaog also decried the latest statement of the President and the whole Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) blaming the Filipino people after the virus deteriorated all over the country. The IATF is the policy-making body headed by the Department of Health of the government’s implementing body for the government pandemic response (National Task Force COVID-19), headed by the leaders of the Department of National Defense, Department of Interior and Local Government and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process.
“Tapos magpapatupad ka ng lockdown, hindi mo na nga tinupad ang pangako mong wakasan ang kontraktuwalisasyon na nagpapasahol ng kalagayan ng mga manggagawa, tinanggalan mo pa ng mga sideline dahil sa lockdown na ito,” Manaog added.
[After breaking your campaign promise to end contractualization that worsened the workers situation, you then implemented this lockdown that forced us to quit even our side jobs.]
Harbour Centre workers have been contractual workers in the bulk and break-bulk cargo operations of the port for decades. They were laid off earlier this year when the company ended its contract with its manpower agency Grasials Corporation. This was despite the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) decision recognizing the workers as regular workers of the parent company Harbour Centre Port Terminal, Inc.
Jeepney drivers from Paco-Nagtahan route
The jeepney drivers who lost their livelihoods and income since May 17 have posted in their parked jeepneys a cry for help and a cry for food. Drivers usually earn their needs for the next day after a day’s work and they have been prevented from operating for 47 days under the lockdown guidelines.
Workers from Barangay Roxas District, Quezon City
There are almost 1.35 million Filipino workers still unable to receive the COVID-19 Adjustment Measure Program or CAMP, a one-time P5,000 cash assistance from DOLE.
Workers from Paperland company was among those that also staged a lightning rally at Barangay Roxas in Quezon City.
“Mabilis nilang nakuha ang emergency power ngunit napakabagal ng pagdating ng ayuda sa mga tao,” said by Gerry Serue, Vice Chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno Metro Manila.
[They got the additional powers so fast, but the aid that reaches people is too slow.]
Workers do not only speak for themselves as most of the residents at their barangay were also still not able to receive cash assistance from the government, the P 8,000 emergency subsidy program as part of the Social Amelioration Program (SAP) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the poorest 18 million families in the country. In NCR, around only 1/3 of the more than 3 million families in the region will be part of SAP. Down to the barangay level, some barangays will have as low was 10% of all the families as beneficiaries.
Workers from UP Diliman
Workers from University Hotel of the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City held a lightning rally outside the University Hotel demanding accountability from the government in its response to the pandemic.
“Sa panahon ng COVID-19, mas lalong lumalala ang sitwasyon ng mga manggagawa kaya dapat nating singilin ang rehimeng Duterte sa kaniyang kapabayaan,” said Boying Samonte, president of University Hotel Workers Union (UHWU).
[in the time of COVID-19, workers situation worsened that’s why we should demand accountability from the Duterte regime for its neglect.]
After the short program, UHWU joined BAYAN Quezon City and Kilusang Mayo Uno in staging a larger picket protest at the university’s Palma Hall while observing social distancing and calling for all the workers to unite and collectively fight for their health, jobs and rights amid the pandemic.
Meanwhile, workers from Regent Foods Corporation, Pepsi Cola, Jollibee Food Corporation- Jollibee Worldwide Services Logistics, Liga ng mga Manggagawa ng Valenzuela City, Liga ng Manggagawa sa Caloocan City andinformal workers in Taguig City protested from their homes and joined the “kalampagan” or noise barrage in their communities.
