THOUSANDS of workers and support groups from different sectors in Davao Region joined the Labor Day rally on May 1 to call an end to contractualization.
"Kining pagsaulog sa tinuig nga labor day, nagpadayon ang singgit nga wagtangon ang constractualization kini among main issue apil natong sa wages ug tung plano sa president nga national minimum wage (In our yearly celebration, there's the continuing call to end contractualization and also the implementation of the president to increase the minimum wage)," said Tony Tubella, national president of Southern Philippines Federation of Labor.
Rallyists from different sectors, women, farmers, laborers from Davao Region, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Bukidnon joined the rally led by Solidarity Workers of Mindanao (Sowmin) and Kilusang Mayo-Uno (KMU) vice-chair for external and political affairs Lito Ustarez.
"Binabati naming ang mangagagawa at sambayanang Pilipino dahil ang araw na ito ang nagpakahalaga sa manggagawang Pilipino (We salute all the Filipino workers all over the country)," Ustarez said.
Ustarez said they are hopeful with the promises of President Rodrigo Duterte especially his plan to end the contractualization in the Philippines.
With all the promises which were announced by the President, he said they could not see any of it yet after he took office last year.
He added they have conducted dialogues with the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and have conducted summits and conferences in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
He added in these dialogues, they have reviewed Dole's Department Order (DO) 168, which requires agencies hiring contractual workers to have a higher capital.
"We really studied it and we found that there is no substantial article that indicates that it will end contractualization," he said, adding that same goes with the DO 174 issued by Secretary Sylvestre "Bebot" Bello.
Ustarez said the DO 174 does not remove sub-contracting and the involvement of big agencies and cooperatives.
"Hindi naming nakikita ang sinasabi ni President Duterte na ang all forms of contractualization ay ipapatigil (We did not see what President Duterte promised, which is to end contratualizaton)," he said.
Ustarez added that KMU will push for the President to issue an executive order, to strongly push for the end of contratualizaton of the country, increase of the minimum wage of the workers to national minimum wage of P750, and also free housing to laborers due to the fact that majority of laborers are renters, while some are frequently removed from their areas as they are subjected to demolition jobs.
He said he expressed doubts over the financial packages that Duterte offered.
"Ang pinakamahalaga ng ihahapag naming sa kanya ang financial package, naihahayag niya pero wala naming lang naipakita sa kanyang financial package na may usaping pandagdag sa sahod ng Pilipinas (In the aspect of financial aspect President Duterte did not tackle on wage hike)," he said.
A dialogue was held on Monday between the KMU and other labor groups with President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss the labor issues.
Aside from the national concern, Carlo Anthony Olalo, Secretary General of the KMU Southern Mindanao reported that series of labor unrest and agrarian disputes broke in several areas in Mindanao.
In a statement, he said four strikes in banana plantations were launched by banana workers in April.
Olalo said the Duterte administration must gear its economic policy towards building national industries and implementing land reform.
He also encouraged Duterte to make concrete steps to end contractualization and for its administration to sign the Comprehensive Agreement on Socioeconomic Reforms.