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Patuloy ang welga ng mga manggagawa ng CoreAsia

July 20, 2018/in News /by Kodao Productions

Ni Joseph Cuevas

Valenzuela City—Binisita ng International Solidarity Mission (ISM) at mga taong simbahan ang piketlayn ng mga manggagawa ng CoreAsia Paper Mills sa Bagbaguin sa Valenzuela City. Doon nakawelga ang halos 50 na manggagawa na tinanggal nang management matapos magtayo ng unyon.

Ayon kay Joseph Lorico, Internal Vice-President nang Pinagkaisang Lakas ng mga Manggagawa ng CoreAsia, hindi makatarungan ang pagtanggal sa kanila sa trabaho dahil sa piket protesta at welga simula noong Hulyo 2.

Samu’t-saring mga isyu ang inirereklamo ng mga manggagawa bago magwelga. Nariyan ang napakababang sahod para sa mga pahinante at drayber ng pagawaan na umaabot lamang sa P280 kada araw, gayundin ang sobrang habang oras na pagtratrabaho na aabot sa 10 hanggang 15 oras.

Dagdag pa ni Lorico, kahit ang pagpapagamot ay sila pa ang gumasgastos at nag-aayos. May isang insidente na halos maputol ang kamay ng isang manggagawa dahil naipit ito sa makina subalit siya pa ang nagasikaso ng kanyang SSS (Social Security Sytem) benefit.

Higit pa rito, ayon sa lider manggagawa, ipinapatupad ng CoreAsia ang sistemang kontraktwal. Sa halos 108 manggagawa, kalahati sa kanila ay kontraktwal at nakapaloob sa mga agency. Sapilitan din silang pinagresign nang kanilang iputok ang welga. Ginamit ng kumpanya ang Pulis Valenzuela na kumbinsihin sila na itigil na ang welga at magbubukas naman uli diumano ito sa katapusan ng Hulyo—isang malinaw na union busting o pambubuwag sa unyon ayon kay Lorico.

Dumagsa naman ang ibat-ibang grupo para suportahan at tulungan ang mga nagwewelgang manggagawa. Lumapit na din sila sa Department of Labor and Employement para makipag-ugnayan sa kaso nila, katuwang ang kanilang abugado.

Sa kanilang bisita, inalam ng ISM ang tunay na kalagayan ng mga manggagawa sa ilalim ng gubyernong Rodrigo Duterte. Nalaman nila na nagpapatuloy ang kontraktwalisasyon sa sektor ng paggawa sa kabila ng pangako ng pangulong agarang tatapusin ang kontraktuwalisasyon. Dagdag pa, nalaman ng ISM na nagsasabwatan ang mga kapitalista at pulisya upang labagin ang karapatan ng mga manggagawa na maglunsad ng protesta o welga para sa mga demokratikong panawagan, tulad ng kasiguruhan sa trabaho, tamang pasahod at ligtas na pagawaan.

Ayon sa mga manggagawa, inihanda na nila ang kanilang mga sarili sa kung anuman ang kahihitnan ng kanilang laban. Naniniwala sila na mananaig ang panawagan nilang makabalik sa trabaho at maging inspirasyon sila sa kapwa manggagawa na lumaban at nanindigan para sahod, trabaho at karapatan.

Ang CoreAsia ay pagmamay-ari ng kapitalistang si Chris Chua. Ito ay paggawaan ng cores and tubes ng toilet paper gayundin paste board, sheeted paper at iba pang produktong yari sa papel. #

Pampalasa, Pampa-ALSA

June 28, 2018/in Literary and Culture /by Kodao Productions

ni Rene Boy Abiva

_{Sa bayang mayaman sa utang at pait,}

_{pambulag ang artipisyal na linamnam at tamis}

_{upang ang mga karaniwang sikmura’y ‘di mag-alsa.}

_{Matamis na pampalasa ang humulma sa kabataan ni Ignas Dungrit}

_{na iiyak-iyak kung ‘di magkukulay dugo}

_{ang prinitong itlog ng manok o tinapa sa kanyang plato,}

_{dahilan upang magkanda-utang-utang ang kanyang inang kubrador ng huweteng}

_{ng Papa ketsap sa tindahan ni Aling Usyang.}

_{Minsa’y nakapatama ang ina ni Ignas,}

_{anong ligaya n’ ya noong una.}

_{Kaso, nang malamang kalot ang napagwagiang taya,}

_{anong sungit at bagsik ang kanyang simangot}

_{na nai-ukit sa kanyang gusgusing labi at mata.}

_{Gayundin si Manolito Lasenggo}

_{na madalas bugbugin ang kanyang labanderang asawa}

_{kung ‘di s’ya nito maipaghahanda ng sawsawang maasim-asim}

_{para sa paborito niyang pulutang tsitsarong kropek na tingi-tingi}

_{o tsitsarong Bulacan na tatlo ang sandaan}

_{na madalas n’ yang bilhin}

_{sa kumpareng tindero sa Amucao.}

_{Mapili pa naman ang gago, kung ‘alang Datu Puti’y Silver Swan ang hanap.}

_{Ayaw n’ya ng Rosas o Basi na gawa ng kanyang sariling bayan.}

_{Kaya ang halos magkubang asawa sa kalalaba,}

_{anong tatag na ini- uutangan ang mister}

_{sa talipapa ni Aling Talin.}

_{Minsa’y naningil ang matandang balo,}

_{at naabutan n’ya ang lasing na si Manolito}

_{himalang binayaran naman s’ya,}

_{binayaran s’ya ng matatalim na limang saksak}

_{na itinindig sa kanyang yayat at kulubot na dibdib.}

_{Dumating ang mga pulis upang siya’ y pasukuin,}

_{kaso nag-ala Rambo}

_{kaya ang kinalabasan, nabalitang nanlaban at patay.}

_{Pinagkakitaan ng mga artipisyal na pampalasa}

_{ang buhay at kapalaran nilang mga karaniwang tao}

_{mula sa pawis ng kubrador na ina ni Ignas Dungrit}

_{at sa labanderang asawa ni Manolito}

_{hanggang sa kamatayan ng balong si Aling Talin.}

_{Ibang usapin pa ang labis na halagang nakulimbat}

_{sa ‘sanlibo at limang daang mangagawa sa Marilao, Bulacan.}

_{At sa higit dalawang dekada ng pag-iral,}

_{buti pa ang kumpanyang pampalasa,}

_{literal na ang buhay ay masaya at masagana.}

_{E silang taga-gawa ng pampalasa,}

_{halos magpakamatay para lamang mabuhay.}

_{Nagtitiis sa mga barung-barong ng mga bayan-bayan.}

_{Nagtitiis sa buhay-dagang pamumuhay}

_{at kung kumahig ang dalawang paa at kamay,}

_{anong pilit-ligaya nilang sikmuraing lunukin}

_{ang nangingitim na kanin at pinakulong talbos ng kangkong}

_{o kamote na ‘ala man lang pampalasa ni asin.}

_{Subalit ‘di kayang pigilan ng artipisyal na pampalasa}

_{ang hangganan ng pait.}

_Pampa-ALSA.

_{Umabot sa sukdulan ang pagtitiis ng mga manggagawa.}

_{Hunyo 2 ay itinayo nila ang barikada.}

_{Paano ba naman kasi, sa daan-daang pwersa sa paggawa’y}

_{limandaan lamang ang regular at karamiha’y kontraktwal.}

_{Mababa pa ang sahod, ‘alang over-time pay at ‘alang benepisyo}

_{sa kung anu-anong kaltas ng kanilang amo.}

_{Habang ‘alang awang pinagtatanggal ang ilan sa kanilang nadisgrasya}

_{habang nasa paggawa}

_{kabilang ang mga nagtayo at nagbuo ng unyon.}

_{Nag-alsa ang mga tagapaglikha ng pampalasa.}

_{At agad nagsabwatan ang kapitalista at mga mamamatay-tao na pulis}

_{at yinusak-yusak ang hanay ng mga nagpoprotesta.}

_{Marami sa kanila ang umuwing sugatan at may biyak sa noo.}

_{Marami sa kanila ang tinutukan ng baril sa ulo.}

_{Marami sa kanila ang pasa sa katawan ang tinamo.}

_{Ngunit higit na mas marami ang gaya nila}

_{ang magkakapit-bisig sa nalalapit na SONA ng pangulo.}

_{Kakalantog ang mga lansangan}

_{mula sa kanilang kolektibong lakas at malay!}

_{May alab na namamayani sa kanilang puso}

_{na mas mainit pa sa nagbabagang punglo!}

_—-

_{Hunyo 16, 2018}

_{Lunsod ng Queson, Pilipinas}

CPP, Makabayan condemn violent dispersal of Nutriasia workers

June 16, 2018/in News /by Kodao Productions

By April Burcer

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives separately condemned the brutal dispersal of NutriAsia workers that led to the arrest of 20 people as well as the wounding of several strikers Thursday.

In separate statements, both organizations criticized the unnecessary use of force in dispersing the workers who have been holding a strike for 13 days to fight for regularization and better working conditions.

CPP said that “NutriAsia workers are demanding the regularization of more than a thousand contractual workers and the reinstatement of union leaders dismissed by the company.”

Out of the 1400 workers in NutriaAsia, only 100 of them are regular employees and the rest are employed by six subcontracting agencies, Jessie Gerola, chairperson of the union Nagkakaisang Manggagawa ng NutriAsia said in an earlier interview.

The Makabayan bloc, composed of Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna, Antonio Tinio and France Castro of ACT Teachers, Emmi de Jesus and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela Women’s Party, Ariel Casilao of Anakpawis and Sarah Elago of Kabataan party-list, on the other hand, called for an investigation on the contractualization policy and the working environment in NutriAsia.

“The workers are only asking to become regular employees of Nutriasia after working in the factory for as long as 15 years, but the company’s and court’s response is a violent dispersal,” the bloc said.

“The Party enjoins the broad masses of workers, students and other sectors to extend support and solidarity with the striking workers of Nutriasia, as well as workers in other companies, in their struggle to defend their right to regular jobs and for wage increases,” CPP wrote.

It started with a clap

News reports said that the strike was prompted by the dismissal of about 50 workers who participated in an earlier protest against the sacking of five union leaders along with their members.

The workers clapped as a way of condemning the termination of the union leaders without reasonable grounds, reports said.

Last February, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ordered NutriAsia and its three contractors –Alternative Network Resources Unlimited Multipurpose Cooperative, Serbiz Multipurpose Cooperative and B-Mirk Enterprises Corporation – to regularize 914 of their workers, which never happened.

NutriAsia is a large condiment company owned by Joselito Campos Jr. and known for its products such as Datu Puti vinegars and soy sauces, Mang Tomas all-purpose sauce, UFC ketchups, Jufran ketchup, and Golden Fiesta cooking oil.

Other activist organizations have also called for a boycott of all NutriAsia products while the labor dispute remain unresolved. #

KMU urges DOLE to ‘immediately regularize’ workers on contractual list

May 28, 2018/0 Comments/in News /by Kodao Productions

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) must enforce its regularization orders instead of simply coming out with lists of companies practicing contractualization, militant labor federation Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) challenged the agency.

Reacting to the DOLE revelation that some of the country’s biggest companies are among the top implementors of the illegal contractualization scheme, KMU said the list may only grow longer without foreceful implementation of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 51 banning labor-only contracting in many industries.

“In the first place, many names on the list came from the workers who filed them with DOLE. What we need to see now are final and executory orders for regularization of contractual workers,” KMU chairperson Elmer Labog said.

‘Contractualization kings’

In a press conference Monday, DOLE revealed a total of 3,377 companies were found to be engaged and suspected to be engaged in labor-only contracting arrangements based on its initial list of non-compliant establishments.

“We are now providing you the top 20 non-complaint companies according to the number of workers that need to be regularized, from a list of 3,377 non-compliant establishments involving 224,852 workers from various parts of the country,” Bello said.

Among the top violators include giant Jollibee Food Corporation with 14,960 affected workers, followed by the Dole Philippines, Inc., with 10,521 affected workers, and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) with 8,310 affected workers.

DOLE also identified Philsaga Mining Corporation with 6,624 affected workers; General Tuna Corporation with 5,216; Sumi Phils Wiring System Corporation with 4,305; Franklin Baker Inc., with 3,400; Philipinas Kyohritsu with 3,161; Furukawa Automotive System Phil. Inc., with 2,863; and the Magnolia Inc., with 2,248 affected workers.

KCC Property Holdings, Inc., with 1,802 affected workers; Sumifru Philippines , Corp. with 1,687; Hinatuan Mining Corporation with 1,673; KCC Mall De Zamboanga with 1,598; Brother Industries (Philippines) Inc., with1,582; Philippine Airlines and PAL Express with 1,483; Nidec Precision Philippines Corporation with 1,400; Peter Paul Phil. Corporation with 1,362; Dolefil Upper Valley Cooperations with 1,183; and the SOLE-Stanfilco with 1,131 affected workers are also included in the preliminary list DOLE submitted to Malacanan Palace last May 25, 2018.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the list was culled from the result of inspections of 99,526 establishments from June 2016 to April 2018.

DOLE said the list was just an initial report, considering the labor inspections covered only a fraction of more than 900,000 establishments nationwide.

Bello said SM Malls were not included in the list as it has already submitted a voluntarily regularization program, which targets an estimated 10,000 regularized workers by the end of 2018.

DOLE Department Order No. 174 prohibits labor–only contracting, which exist when the contractor merely recruits, supplies or places workers to perform a job for a principal under employment arrangements designed to circumvent the right of workers to security of tenure.

DOLE said a total of 176,286 workers have been regularized as of May 11, 2018 through the intensified labor enforcement system of the labor department.

‘Let it not stay a list’

KMU however said DOLE’s list will only grow longer without a more forceful and sustained implementation of regularization orders.

“In the case of PLDT, there were only about 7,400 contractual workers when KMU and Kilos Na Manggagawa filed a complaint with DOLE earlier. Now, it is saying there are already 8,310 affected workers. If DOLE does not enforce regularization orders, the numbers will only increase,” Labog said.

“Now that they have a list, it should not stay merely as a list. DOLE must immediately issue and enforce regularization orders for these workers,” Labog added.

KMU said that should DOLE’s list does not translate to the regularization of its number of affected workers, it becomes another mere palliative to the lack of a wage increase in the midst of runaway price increases of basic commodities and services due to the Duterte government’s tax measures.

KMU added it supports House Bill 7787 for a national minimum wage law filed by the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives Monday. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Federations join forces to denounce Duterte on Labor Day

May 2, 2018/0 Comments/in Videos /by Kodao Productions

Labor centers Kilusang Mayo Uno and Nagkaisa joined forces to hold the biggest May 1 protest action in the Philippines in several decades last Tuesday.

Long rivals that traditionally held separate Labor Day protest actions, KMU and Nagkaisa said as many as 50,000 workers marched to Mendiola Bridge in Manila in a show of force against the Rodrigo Duterte government’s failure to end contractualization of labor.

The groups said 100,000 more workers marched in various regional centers across the Philippines, despite efforts by the Philippine National Police to block protesters from joining. (Editing by Carlo Francisco, Videography by Jo Maline D. Mamangun)

)

Labor feds unite, vow to hold biggest rally in decades

April 28, 2018/0 Comments/in News /by Kodao Productions

Labor federations vowed to hold their biggest Labor Day protest on Tuesday after agreeing to jointly march against President Duterte’s failed promise to end contractualization.

In a press conference in Manila Friday, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and Nagkaisa Labor Coalition said as many as 60,000 workers in Metro Manila and 150,000 all over the country will march as one on May 1.

“The growing frustration, disappointment and dissatisfaction of workers over President Rodrigo Duterte’s failure to fulfil a promise have only bonded workers,” KMU and Nagkaisa said.

Long rivals, the federations have formed an alliance after Duterte turned on his promise to end labor only contracting and issue an executive order ending the practice.

KMU and Nagkaisa said their joint May 1 protests are an “historic first.”

“This year’s commemoration of Labor Day will be different. It will be a national day of solidarity and action of leaders, members, allies and supporters of Nagkaisa and KMU and all citizens who have been frustrated over the injustices committed against workers and the Filipino people and government’s continued inaction and negligence,” Nagkaisa and KMU said in a joint statement.

“For two years, we participated in labor summits called for by ( the Department of Labor and Employment), dialogued with the President three times, drafted an Executive Order (EO) on contractualization, negotiated with him through five drafts—all to no avail,” KMU and Nagkaisa said.

The groups said they also intended to engage Congress on the issue but were stopped when informed by Senate Committee on Labor, Employment, and Human Resources Development chairperson Senator Joel Villanueva that Congress will act based on Malacañang’s ”signal”.

“Now that a directive by way of an EO that would declare direct hiring as the norm has been shelved, the Senate might just follow this lead,” the federations said.

“We are utterly frustrated. Despite our desire to continue sitting at the negotiating table and follow reason, the President has decided on retaining business-as-usual, by siding with local and foreign investors who have no respect for security of tenure,” the groups added.

“(Duterte) has agreed to the false ‘win-win solution’ of (the Department of Trade and Industry) that encourages manpower agency regularization and not direct hiring with the principal employers,” Nagkaisa and KMU said.

In an April 19 press briefing, DOLE secretary Silvestre Bello III said the President will no longer sign an EO but will instead certify as urgent a pending bill in Congress ending contractualization.

KMU earlier said legislators would only ensure such laws would be watered-down and mangled.

Nagkaisa and KMU said protesters will start marching from various points as early as six o’clock in the morning and will converge at Morayta Street at about 10 am before proceeding to Mendiola Tuesday. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

AGAW WEN Episode 3 – ENDO

April 27, 2018/0 Comments/in Altermidya /by Kodao Productions

Panoorin ang ikatlong nakakamatay na episode ni Agaw Wen sa kaniyang pagtalakay sa infinite war ng milyun-milyong manggagawa laban sa Endo. Video ng Kilab Multimedia.

I-click ito para mapanood si ‘Gaw Wen

‘Not surprised,’ KMU says of Duterte’s turnaround on endo promise

April 19, 2018/0 Comments/in News /by Kodao Productions

Militant labor denounced Rodrigo Duterte’s decision not to issue an order ending contractualization of workers, saying the President’s move is a complete turnaround from his repeated promise to end the practice.

Following labor secretary Silvestre Bello III’s announcement Thursday that Duterte decided to leave it to Congress to decide on labor-only contracting, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) chairperson Elmer Labog said the government is bent on maintaining the status quo in the labor sector.

“Duterte wants contractual labor to remain the norm while regular employment is just the exemption,” Labog told Kodao.

“He sweet-talked us for such a long time, but it all comes to nothing,” Labog added.

In a statement, Kilusang Mayo Uno said it was Duterte himself in a dialogue last May 1, 2017 who asked the labor sector to draft an EO that he would immediately sign.

“However, like his other promises and pretensions, Duterte refused to deliver. This further proves that his tough-talk against contractualization was a mere publicity stunt to woo workers’ votes like all other traditional politicians,” KMU said.

In his press briefing, Bello said three drafts of the executive order were submitted to the Office of the President through the Office of the Executive Secretary.

Bello said Malacañan however ultimately decided to instead certify as priority a Senate bill on the security of tenure of workers.

Earlier, the Palace announced that Duterte will finally issue an order to end contractualization, or non-regularization of workers. It later said Malacañan decided to postpone Duterte’s signing of the order last April 15.

No order was signed and issued last Sunday, however.

In justifying Duterte’s decision, Bello said the Senate bill is a reinforcement of Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Department Order 174 meant to address the issue of unlawful contractualization anyway.

Bello said the DOLE order and the Senate bill may end contractualization “if there is an effective and honest-to-goodness implementation.”

Labog, however, said militant labor has no illusions about the prospective anti-contractualization law.

“Wala na iyan. Lututuin lang iyan sa Kongreso,” Labog said. (That’s nothing. It will just be mangled in Congress.)

Labog warned that more workers would be disappointed and angry at Duterte.

“It will not only be KMU who gets angry with Duterte, but all the other workers who are victims of contractualization,” Labog said.

Labog added KMU’s International Labor Day activities will start at nine o’clock in the morning at Liwasang Bonifacio.

“Our main sectoral call is, of course, for the junking of contractualization,” Labog said.

KMU said Duterte’s mockery of Filipino workers and of our legitimate demands will never be forgiven.

“On May 1, International Labor Day, hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers across the country will show their outrage over Duterte’s rejection of our demands for regular and decent jobs in a nationwide workers’ and people’s protest,” KMU’s statement said.# (Raymund B. Villanueva)

OPINION: How Duterte misjudges the Left

July 24, 2017/in News /by Kodao Productions

President Rodrigo Duterte sprung another surprise tonight by addressing the protest rally outside the House of Representatives after delivering his second State of the Nation Address. It turned out though he too would be surprised by his unprecedented move.

Fresh from delivering a speech in front of an overwhelmingly servile audience, Duterte should have known the leftist protesters would be an entirely different crowd altogether. The protesters he made to wait under pouring rain are tens of thousands of victims of his government’s failed promises and are not the crowd to applaud his rambling speeches and his crude brand of levity. Furthermore, he should not have expected them to remain silent while he spoke.

Even before he could really launch into his speech, the president was met with chants—something he did not expect to hear, nor want to, for sure. “No to martial law! No to martial law!” the crowd shouted. Duterte reverted to his customary mode and told his audience to shut up and just listen. “Huwag muna! Patapusin mo muna ako diyan!” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The president reminded the drenched crowd he still has leftists in his cabinet. He said he is only trying to make everyone happy, that he means to spend billions for poor people and agrarian reform would happen given time. He said he does not own government and that he only receives his salary for all that he does.

But those are the words the protesters did not want to hear. They wanted categorical statements on their most pressing problems. “Manggagawang kontraktwal, gawing regular!” the workers shouted. “Militar sa kanayunan, palayasin!” bellowed the Lumad in front of the stage.

It is hard to guess what Duterte was thinking at that point, but he clearly did not like the people telling him what they demand of their president. “E kung ganyan ang turing niyo sa akin, parang kalaban, wala na. ‘Wag na tayong mag-usap!” he said. “Pati ako, gusto niyong patayin…Pag-uwi ko galing Marawi, ambush-in niyo ako,” he added.

There was a brief moment when Duterte lifted the crowd’s spirits up. “Ang relasyon ko sa Left, ok pa,” he said. Inexplicably, he immediately turned it into a threat that definitely did not help any. “Huwag niyong sirain kasi magkasamaan tayo ng loob. Damay ako, damay kayo,” he said.

The crowd responded with another chant of “Peace talks, ituloy!” to which Duterte typically responded, “Hanap kayong maganda diyan, iharap sa akin.” He then again said, “In-ambush niyo ako!” referring to the Arakan, North Cotabato incident last week. It was the first time anyone has heard he was there.

It was clear at this time the protesters wanted a dialogue with Duterte and they did not want to listen to more of what they have already heard him say in his SONA. He should have taken the cue when the crowd affirmatively answered him when he asked if he should release all political prisoners. “Oo!” the crowd roared, but Duterte missed it.

It was immediately after this exchange that Duterte let out what he really wanted to say to the Left. “Kailangan tahimik (kayo). Mag-respetuhan tayo. Huwag niyo akong i-ambush,” he said. Coupled with his earlier statement that the Left should give him time, he really wanted their silence while he focuses on what he says must be done first. The President did not appear before the protesters to listen; he was there to issue an order.

For someone who claims to be a leftist himself and for someone who never tires of reminding the Left of his ties with their comrades in his home region, it was hard to believe he now misjudges them badly. The Left has never made secret its opposition to martial law, the militarization of the countryside, environmental plunder, contractualization of labor, human rights violations and other social ills left unresolved by the Duterte administration. To ask them to be silent, even for just a period of time, is asking for them to be complicit. It is something no one could ever imagine they would, because they never had.

A visibly disappointed Duterte abruptly ended his speech and left the stage in a huff. But he must know, his appearance and speech has left the crowd even more disappointed. “Bakit pa siya pumunta?” was a question many asked as they ended the SONA protest made bizarre by a guest who invited himself. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Drivers, workers protest jeepney phaseout

July 18, 2017/in Videos /by Kodao Productions

Thousands of public utility jeepney drivers under the No to Jeepeney Phaseout Coalition were joined by workers of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) in a protest rally at Mendiola a week before the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.

Among the workers are miners and banana plantation workers from Mindanao regions. They are protesting neoliberal policies and martial law as favoring foreign big business interests.

Workers set up a protest camp at Mendiola leading to the big People’s SONA rally on July 24, 2017.

(Music “Beep, Beep” by Juan de la Cruz Band) Read more