DAVAO CITY, Philippines- Progressive groups here mounted a petition-signing around the oldest public market here to ask govenment to scrap…
Jobs crisis intensifying under Duterte – IBON
Over 700,000 jobs lost in agriculture and fisheries
Research group IBON said that despite recently hyped growth of 6.8% in first quarter 2018 the country’s jobs situation continues to worsen under the Duterte administration.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that the employment rate grew slightly to 94.5% in April 2018, while the unemployment rate was lower at 5.5 percent. The jobs situation seemed to improve as the number of employed Filipinos rose by 625,000 and the number of unemployed declined by 83,000. The government largely attributed this to increased infrastructure spending.
According to IBON estimates correcting for government underestimation, however, the number of unemployed actually grew by 82,000 to 4.1 million in April 2018 from 4 million in April 2017. Official unemployment figures do not reflect discouraged workers or those who have dropped out of the labor force after failing to find work after six months.
The agriculture sector, which is the second largest source of employment among the country’s sectors, had the most job losses, said the group. Official data shows that the number of employed in agriculture fell by 723,000 to 9.8 million in April 2018 from 10.5 million in April 2017. The sector has been plagued with job losses for the past four consecutive rounds of the labor force survey. IBON also noted that the agriculture, hunting and forestry subsector lost 558,000 jobs, while fisheries lost 134,000. The fisheries subsector had notable job losses for all labor force survey rounds under the Duterte government.
Poor quality work or jobs that are insecure, lack benefits and have low wages persists, said the group. The number of underemployed or those looking for additional work increased by 466,000 from around 6.5 million in April 2017 to 6.9 million in April 2018. IBON noted that among underemployed persons, those who worked 40 hours and over in a week grew by 758,000 from 2.4 million last year to 3.2 million this year. This may indicate that they are not earning enough income to meet their basic needs.
The number of part-time workers who worked less than 40 hours in a week decreased but still comprised 52.5% of total underemployed in April 2018. The group also noted that nearly half or 47.1% of underemployed for this round were in the services sector, 32.4% in agriculture, and 20.5% in the industry sector. Both services and industry sectors registered increases in underemployed persons from April last year.
IBON said that government has been content with minimal job generation in the non-productive sectors such as the kind offered during job fairs. According to the group, government should instead ensure sustainable and decent jobs and livelihoods for Filipinos. This can be done by embarking on a solid economic program that genuinely boosts the agriculture and fisheries sectors and develops the country’s vastly rural economy to build strong and vibrant domestic industries.###
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Commission on Elections (Comelec) employees condemned the murder of an election officer in a Batangas town Monday, saying the killing highlights the culture of impunity prevailing in the country. The Comelec Employees Union (EU) in a statement said it condemns in no uncertain terms the brutal killing of Mabini, Batangas election officer Noel Miralles who […]
#LupangRamos | Lupa ay buhay
Kamakailan lamang ay umugong ang isyu ng ilang mga magsasaka sa Lupang Ramos, Cavite nang pinasok ang kanilang lupang sakahan ng ilang mga bentador at mga ahente ng lupa at pilit inaagaw sa kanila ang lupang matagal na panahon na nilang sinasaka at tinataniman.
Ika nga nila “ang lupa ay katumbas ng buhay ng mga magsasaka” kung kaya’t ganoon na lamang kung ipaglaban ng mga magsasaka ang kanilang karapatan sa kanilang lupa.
Isa si Angel, 19 na taong gulang, na aktibong sumusuporta sa laban ng mga magsasaka. Buong loob na naniniwala si Angel na bilang bahagi ng LGBT ay hindi nahihiwalay ang laban nila sa laban ng iba pang sektor ng lipunan kagaya na lamang ng mga magsasaka.
Ani Angel, ” Nandito ako para syempre samahan sa laban yung nga magsasaka natin na patuloy na hinaharas at kinakamkam yung kanilang lupa.”
Si Angel ay volunteer sa Lupang Ramos.
Tinatayang 372 ekatarya ang buong lupang Ramos at ilan sa mga itinatanim rito ay palay, kamote, mais at iba pang sari-saring gulay. Dahil sa mga naitatanim nila ay malaki-laki ang kinikita ng kanilang komunidad kapag ibinebenta nila ito, sapat upang pakainin ang lahat sa kanilang komunidad.
Sistema na ng mga magsasaka ng Lupang Ramos ang pag-aayos, paglilinang at paglilinis ng kanilang lupa bago dumating ang tag-ulan nang sa gayon kapag dumating na ang ulan ay doon nila tataniman ang lupa ng iba’t ibang binhi upang may anihin sila kalaunan.
Ngunit sa kasamaang palad, matapos linangin ng mga magsasaka ang lupang sakahan nila ay bigla na lamang nagdatingan ang mga tinatawag nilang ‘bentador’ at ‘ahente’ ng lupa, mayroon pang kasamang Engineer na si Angelito Tolentino na wari’y naghahanap ng lupa upang may ipakita kay Ayala kapag sila’y nagtagpo. Itong mga bentador ng mga lupa na ito ay walang habas na kinakamkam ang lupa ng mga magsasaka at upang makuha ito sa kanila ay samu’t saring porma ng pandarahas ang kanilang ginagawa sa mga magsasaka ng Lupang Ramos. Silang mga ahente ng lupa ang nagsisipagtanim din ngayon sa Lupang Ramos, imbis na ang mga magsasaka roon na mismong dati nang naglilinang ng kanilang lupa.
Mahalaga kay Angel na mapatupad ang tunay na reporma sa lupa sapagkat isa ito sa magpapalaya sa magsasaka mula sa mga nananamantala sa kanila.
Ayon kay Angel, “June 4 kami dumating, pumunta kami agad dito nung mabalitaan namin yung pamamaril at bilang LGBT ay tumugon agad kami para maipakita namin yung suporta sa mga magsasaka at para lalong lumakas ang loob nila sa paglaban. Nais nating ipakita sa naghaharing uri na hindi tayo susuko”.
Kahit kailan ay hindi nahihiway ang laban ng iba’t ibang sektor ng ating lipunan. Kung kaya’t patuloy na nakikiisa at pinalalakas nila Angel ang panawagang #HandsOffLupangRamos at #StopKillingFarmers.
The post #LupangRamos | Lupa ay buhay appeared first on Manila Today.
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