26/04/2021
PHILIPPINE TRADE & GENERAL WORKERS ORGANIZATION-TUCP
UNDERLYING MESSAGE
ON 2021 LABOR DAY CELEBRATION
by a member
THE CITIZENRIES’ VALUES
It is undeniable that Filipino values for the last 100-years eroded to the worst and shameful. Almost everybody, say 99.9%, practices greed, and self-indulgence
Employees in public service, mostly, work not to serve, but to receive their salaries and earn more through corruption. Elected government officials make their position as a dealership to earn money rather than a center for public service and good governance.
With this fact in now Filipino values, whatever effort made by virtuous few—the same fell in vain. If there are alleged growth and progress, because of unabated corruption---it is not felt and experienced by ordinary workers. They only heard and read.
This member of the PTGWO appeal to the present administration to likewise invest and make actions for Filipino values-reformation, toward the exercise of fairness, equity, honesty, and justice in all their endeavors.
EDUCATION
It is said that in today’s modern living---a man to survive free from poverty is to have a proper education as his gate-pass to employment and/or decent means of earning a living.
Yes, our past and the present government allocated the biggest budget in education. However, found to be still insufficient, although by the mere hearing of it and roughly estimating, it is more than enough. The deep and unabated reason is still the usual inappropriate use of it, if not corruption.
This member of the PTGWO appeals to this present administration to make the proceedings in utilizing this budget in education simple and prompt.
In any barangay that there is a need for schoolhouses or rooms, immediately built one or more in simple and safe structure with complete basic facilities as a toilet, water, and electricity by either power supplier, generator or solar and of course, competent teachers. So much protocol and procedures result in delay and waste of money. These needed schoolhouses and facilities in many remote areas of the country must promptly execute. Protocols that delay it--deprive many Filipinos of education.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
This member of the PTGWO appeals to the present government to invest in the exploration of science and technology in the production of machines, especially electric cars and bikes, electronic appliances, and gadgets, likewise medical and food production types of equipment.
It is pleasing to remember that in the 1960s, in Asia we are—the Philippines in competition with Taiwan is next to Japan in the production of basic tools and gadgets. Never then heard, Korea, China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Sadly, now the Philippines, merely import and deem produce no new technology.
Appropriate an inspiring fund to support our scientists and inventors to pursue their ideas or innovations. We should not be comfortable being an importer and consumer of other countries’ products, especially China, which is known for its poor quality.
HOUSING
The almost 50-years problem now that the number of Filipino families has no house is speedily increasing. The present administration must be prompt and bold enough to allocate enough budgets for this purpose. If the government can allocate several billion for “conditional cash transfer” and alleged “ayuda”—after the pandemic—the housing budget may also be appropriated of such amount.
It is ridiculous to think that in time of smooth weather, no LGU will agree to spend its own money to improve for safeness any house of its constituents, especially those situated in hazardous areas. However, when calamities strike and there were found a victim—LGU happily announced that they spent several million assisting their alleged constituents. Why not prevention, rather than remedy?
If our government can make a foreign loan for other projects, this problem also deserves such decisive decision to loan and built new communities and houses in nearby open spaces in Metro Manila as in Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Laguna, Cavite, and Rizal, and in reasonable amount and term, sold such houses to “no lot-no house Filipino family.
Build such houses in typically spacious for an average Pilipino family. A house with an area of at least 60-square meters. A twenty-five to 30-square meters one-room affair house is not the least healthy house for a family of five. It is a torture room for five.
Build such houses in a place with a plan appropriate for a modern city, however, streets and facilities may be initiated as can afford for the starting needs of the community.
A family without a house lives like a nomad, which inconveniences and violence of crowded-city-living developed them to be numbed and deadened, which possibly, transformed them to be a criminal and become a problem of our society. With this trend, their children who will someday also organized their own family, having immune on that living without a house, will likewise exist as the way their parents live---no house--negative values. The cycle goes on. The problem remains and becomes more worst and mind-blowing.
On the other hand, a family with a house is inspired and motivated to move on for progress and become a useful member of society. Their children as they used to a house, before having their own family will make the house a prerequisite for their settlement of their own.
Hence, this member of the PTGWO appeals to this present government to boldly move and promptly resolve this issue. Allocate enough funds for this purpose. It is the solution to the many problems of our society. After this pandemic—this housing problem deserves serious attention to pave the way for the Philippine progress and lasting peace and order.
HEALTH
The present administration is deemed on the right track, gleaned in the passage of the “Sintax law” and expansion of the PhilHealth program.
Sadly, in the implementation of it, before the pandemic, it was found complicated and does not address its real intention. As usual, the funds of PhilHealth were dominated by the corrupt who have a hand on that government agency. In the attack of Covid 19, PhilHealth operation becomes more complex and gruelling to follow to ascertain, where employees and employers’ contribution, likewise taxes go.
However, with the present administration's desperate action to thwart the effect of the pandemic with the help of private hospitals---it is this member of the PTGWO’s apprehension that the services of hospitals, especially the private ones, intensely focused on profit-making and not on real services. It is our experience that there was non-COVID cause death, which was certified by a private hospital’s doctor as COVID suspect to collect money from the PhilHealth. With these unabated unfair practices of many hospitals in the coordination of their doctors—PhilHealth funds will likely drain.
The world is not getting better. Calamities and pandemics will likely come and go. Thus, as we are an archipelago with more than 7-thousand islands, the government must look at certain islands to transform them into “exclusive-multi-purpose facilities (evacuation center, quarantine facilities, treating areas, and others as needs arise).
Hence, this member of the PTGWO appeals to this present administration to move promptly for those facilities.
PEACE AND ORDER
With the effect of the pandemic, wherein community quarantine and curfew is imposed, likewise, limited movement of the people—report of crime are no longer the focus, but the celebrated COVID 19. Thus, public information on this issue is deemed in limbo. PTGWO hope and pray, Filipinos in fear of karma from COVID 19, change to become a fair and good citizen and avoid wrongdoing against its fellow citizen. We must practice fairness and kindness to each other, for God to heal us, as one.
JUSTICE SYSTEM
Yes! There is a division in our government’s governance. Be that it may, the present administration must be vigilant enough to advocate fair and prompt administration of justice. Justice delay is justice denied.
It is so sad and unfair to think that those who are victims of injustices, who seek justice through our judicial system, in addition to their losses and sufferings from the crime employed against them—they still compelled for more losses of time, money, and resources. They are likewise impliedly tortured to several ways of harassment in seeking justice, which goes 10 to 20 years of attending the hearing and waiting for the verdict, which after years, sometimes, due to corruption fell in vain and absolve the culprit.
The DOLE competent authorities and the NLRC Labor Arbiters and Commissioners, who are supposed to be there to make justices in labor relations-- many, are not. Instead, many of them make their position as an status symbol and field to earn and make money through the usual practice of corruption.
These alleged competent authorities of the DOLE and NLRC must periodically be subjected to value formation to remind them to be fair and honest in their decision-making. They shall also once in every three years be subjected to lifestyle checks. It is an open secret that many among the Labor Arbiters and Commissioners in the NLRC are corrupt and making money with their position and power.
PTGWO call the present administration to move to cause the revision of the justice system in this country by certifying it to Congress.
AWKWARD PRINCIPLE AND DECISION IN SOME CASES
Domestically our government condemned criminal acts. However, this member of the PTGWO cannot understand why some Filipinos who found committed crimes in a foreign land, the Philippine government assisting them to escape from the consequence of that crime.
It is ridiculous to hear that a Filipino found convicted of killing another person in a foreign land, sent assistance (blood-money) by the government. Why not just a lawyer to verify the truth of the commit of the crime, and if it is true, condemn such Filipino with a message to other Filipinos not to do the same crime or any crime, other than in case of self-defense. If not true, that is the time to extend all needed help and assistance.
This member of the PTGWO appeals to this present administration to be not tolerant to criminals anywhere they commit the crime and are found.
THE CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER
This member of the PTGWO is not convinced of this benevolence of the past and present administration. Forty billion pesos is a huge amount, it can build twenty (20) mega factories with barracks to temporarily billet its employees. Why not invest it in manufacturing and/or processing and bring the head of the family of the poorest of the poor or any able member of that family on that factory to work and earned salary for his/her family. Why give it with short relief? This member of the PTGWO calls wisdom for this huge people's money.
Use that Conditional Cash Transfer in building large fishing vessels to fish our seas by the family-member of the beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer, or some of such fishing vessels by our PDL. Let them work for their food. These convicted criminals look luckier that the Pilipino taxpayer provides all their needs free, including security personnel. How much we spent on BJMP, National Bilibid Prison, and other places of criminal confinement?
The sea is a large source of food. We have vast seas around us. We need not focus on the West Philippine Sea. We already had a legal document, recognized by the world that part of such South China Sea is ours. If the time comes that we got the power to get it—then, get it. We have the evidence.
Buy heavy-duty tilling tractors to till the rice fields of our farmers free of charge, and other idle lands appropriate for planting edible plants for our food. Build rice-drying facilities in all Regions producing rice. Build safe, large, and efficient food storage facilities to keep some of our foods reserve for calamities.
Dam our drying river in summer to harvest some floodwaters during rainy days. Staying water in our river will keep and propagate the fishes on that river. Another source of food for our people. Such staying water will likewise moist, the land by it, wherein plants continuously grow and keep our country green and oxygen-fresh.
Prune all trees in the residential communities to “balance and beauty” and save them during rainy or stormy days. A “tree” may only be called a real tree after seven to ten years of growing and blooming—unfortunately, sometimes in a matter of an hour during stormy or too much rainwater, it is extracted and fell to ruin. Sad.
The world condition is not going better. It is heading to worse, which negative impact of climate change is the most obvious, which is unpredictable. We need to move, so as not to be victim flat-footed.
POWER AND FUEL
Now that the government almost identified the places where oil and other natural gases can be extracted, it must be the one to invest in the extraction, processing, and marketing of such natural minerals as another source of income.
We know that Malaysia, and many Middle East countries earned money from those minerals---we also take the opportunity to earn from that, instead of allowing foreigners to exploit our natural resources and satisfied our country by merely receiving taxes. We must learn through our experience in “Malampaya”. Nido 1 and Nido 2 oil well.
Metro Manila in the late 1980s suffered from devastating brownout. Mindanao up to now, despite the government insisting on enough reserve of power and electricity. Let the light, sound, images, and rotations of electric motors prove that power and electricity are enough, not the government claims and announcement.
GENERAL INSIGHT
This member of the PTGWO heard and read the present administration is working hard to reclaim the last attained growth, despite the pandemic. PTGWO is happy and appreciates it. However, the progress of such growth must be extended to the ordinary worker and the poorest of the poor in our country. Let the worker and the poor of the poorest prove such growth and progress by enjoying it.
PTGWO supports the present administration effort for alleged progress, despite the pandemic. We stand with the government to thwart COVID 19 and its negative effect.
Though pandemic is still around—be fully hopeful this Labor Day. PTGWO members and the rest of the Filipino workers and citizenry keep moving and pray that we survive as one. Mabuhay!
Rodolfo J. Pascasio
MEMBER PTGWO
