BBM spends Labor Day with workers, Leni touts their role in progress, peace

PRESIDENTIAL frontrunner Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo separately paid tribute to workers on Labor Day, with Marcos vowing to make labor force protection his top priority as part of post-pandemic recovery if he is elected on May 9.

Marcos faced different sectors from the workforce in a Town Hall meeting at the Quezon City headquarters of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), the country’s largest alliance of labor federations with 1.2 million-strong members nationwide.

The TUCP earlier endorsed his Uniteam tandem with Mayor Sara Duterte-carpio.

“When it comes to labor, my number one priority is to protect the labor force. We start from there, and from there things will flow; what’s important is we treat the workers well, I think the rest of all of the issues will flow from that,” said Marcos, who was greeted with cheers and applause by the workers.

During the Town Hall meeting, Marcos and the labor force tackled the problems and issues that lay siege to the sector and outlined his plans and programs to address them.

Marcos also expressed interest in making into a priority bill the Security of Tenure Act, which amends the Labor Code to further protect workers’ rights by prohibiting labor-only contracting in the private sector.

“The Security of Tenure Bill that we hope to amend and rewrite so that it can finally be passed ” is something he will definitely sign, Marcos said partly in Filipino, “if I get lucky and win the election.”

While he supports the creation of a separate department for migrant workers, Marcos said all the other agencies that deal with the labor sector should be streamlined.

“The second opportunity that I think is the migrant workers (apart from the Security of Tenure Act), the Department of Migrant Workers. That will make clear cut the duties of the Department of Migrant Workers” vis-à-vis the OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration), the Department of Labor and Employment, among others, he said.

Marcos insisted however that he will prioritize the protection of labor force for the country to recover from the pandemic and to move forward for a better economy.

“I think the best way to do is to make sure that whatever is in the law is implemented and enforced,” Marcos averred.

“Top of mind for me is how to protect the labor force because the labor force is always, among all stakeholders in business, seemingly among those who have no voice,“he added.

Also present during the Town Hall meeting was TUCP president Raymond Mendoza.

Mendoza said there was an overwhelming response from their 1.2 million-strong members to support the Uniteam tandem when they held a string of consultations with TUCP members all over the country.

Founded in 1975 by 23 labor federations, it is currently the Philippines' largest alliance of labor federations.

Most of its members come from major industries such as service, agriculture, and manufacturing from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

VP Leni

MEANWHILE, presidential candidate Leni Robredo highlighted on Labor Day the enormous contributions of workers to the economy and communities, and their role in strengthening the peace and lasting development in the country.

The vice president said the path to progress lies in promoting and protecting the welfare of workers such as just and fair compensation, protection from abuse and dismantling of “outdated and ineffective practices.”

Meanwhile, Robredo’s presidential bid received support in Batangas on Saturday with more than 280,000 Batangueños attending her rally in the province, according to organizers.

Robredo and her running mate Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan barnstormed Batangas on Saturday, culminating with a grand rally at the Catalina Lake Residences in Bauan, Batangas.