The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading House Bill 7302 or the “Budget Reform Act,” a measure certified as urgent by President Rodrigo Duterte.
MANOBO CRAFT
MANOBO CRAFT. A Manobo woman sell rattan crafts during the Araw ng Davao Parada Dabawenyo on March 16. (Kath M. Cortez/davaotoday.com)
Davao City Council passes bill declaring Datu Bago a local hero
City Council here approved on Tuesday, March 20, an ordinance declaring Datu Bago as a local hero.
Rey Cagomoc sa Pakikihamok
Para sa maraming manggagawa at maka-manggagawa, malungkot na balita ang pagkamatay ni Rey Cagomoc sa edad na 53 nitong Marso 8 dahil sa pneumonia. Si Ka Rey ang presidente ng Samahan ng mga Janitor sa Politeknikong Unibersidad ng Pilipinas o SJPUP, unyon ng National Federation of Labor Unions ng pambansang sentrong unyong Kilusang Mayo Uno.
Sa naturang katungkulan, maraming taon niyang pinamunuan ang paglaban, kasama na ang mga welga, ng mga janitor ng PUP para manatili sa kanilang trabaho, maging regular, at mapabuti ang kalagayan sa paggawa. Ang kalakaran kasi, taun-taong nagpapalit ng kakontratang ahensya ng manpower ang PUP, at laging nanganganib matanggal ang mga janitor na pawang kontraktwal.
Bilang lider-manggagawa ng KMU, at nang kasama ang mga opisyal at miyembro ng SJPUP, ipinaglaban ni Ka Rey ang mga kahilingan ng lahat ng manggagawa sa larangan ng sahod, trabaho at karapatan. Tinulungan nila ang maraming manggagawa na magtayo ng unyon at ipaglaban ang kanilang mga karapatan sa kani-kanilang empresa.
Sa kanyang akdang What is to be done? (1902), tinuligsa ni Vladimir Lenin ang pagkatali at pagtatali ng kamalayan ng mga manggagawa sa mga mga isyung pang-ekonomiya, mga isyung “kanin at isda,” sabi nga ng mga unyonista sa bansa. Kapos, aniya, ang mga isyung pang-ekonomiya – ng manggagawa man ng isang empresa, o isang industriya, o ng buong bansa, kahit pa nakadireksyon sa Estado.
Aniya, ang kailangan ay kamalayan tungkol sa buong sistemang panlipunan, sa paghahari ng mga naghaharing uri, at sa pagsasamantala at pang-aapi ng mga ito sa mga manggagawa at lahat ng uri sa lipunan. Ang kailangan, aniya, ay rebolusyon para ibagsak ang mga naghaharing uri sa kasalukuyan at pamunuan ang buong lipunan, hindi ang pagpapabuti lamang ng kalagayan sa paggawa sa ilalim ng mga naghaharing uri.
Kilala si Ka Rey sa pagsasapuso sa mga aral na ito. Nakilala siya na kanyang pagtatalumpati na nagsisiwalat sa kabuktutan ng imperyalismong US at malalaking komprador at haciendero sa bansa. Lagi siyang dumudulo sa pangangailangan ng tunay na pagbabagong panlipunan at ng pagpapataas ng kamalayan at pagkilos ng mga manggagawa lampas sa mga isyung pang-ekonomiya.
Naaalala ni E, kapwa-lider-unyon ni Ka Rey, ang minsang pagtatalumpati niya: “Para ipaglaban ang tunay na pagbabago, kailangang tayong mga manggagawa ay humawak na ng… plakard!” Mangyari, higit pa sa plakard ang gusto niyang tanganan ng mga manggagawa, pero hindi niya nasabi sa kung anong dahilan. Sa usaping ito, kasundo niya ang laging kausap na si Orlando Castillo, pintor na social realist at organisador ng NAFLU-KMU.
Na kay Ka Rey ang magagandang katangiang tatak ng mga aktibistang galing sa uring manggagawa. Lagi siyang maaga sa mga pulong at aktibidad, tila malaya sa tinatawag na “Filipino time.” Parte kaya ito ng sinasabi nina Karl Marx at Friedrich Engels na walang bansa ang mga manggagawa? Ayon sa kanya at mga kamanggagawa, disiplina itong itinuturo ng mahapding kaltas sa sahod kapag nahuhuli sa trabaho at ng pag-iwas na maging pabigat sa mga katrabaho.
Sa mga talakayan, matama siyang nakikinig, palaging pinagtutugma ang mga pinag-uusapan sa mga batayang prinsipyo at sariling karanasan. Sa mga pulong, tulad sa kanyang pamilya at kamanggagawa, maasikaso siya sa mga kasama sa pagkain at pagtulog. Kalmado at masigasig siya sa pagtangan sa gawain, pagbabahay-bahay man sa mga komunidad nang tirik ang araw o pagmamantine ng piketlayn kahit may bagyo.
Hindi malilimutan ni R, aktibistang guro sa PUP, kung paanong nag-ambag-ambag silang mga janitor para abutan siya ng tulong, siyang propesor, nang minsang maospital ang kanyang anak. Natatandaan naman ni N, aktibista sa kilusang paggawa, kung paanong si Ka Rey at mga kamanggagawa ang kalmadong nasa unahan, humaharap sa pagtatangka ng mga pulis na i-disperse ang mga rali at protesta. Sila rin ang nangunguna sa pag-agaw ng mga hose ng tubig na ginagamit sa pagwasak ng hanay ng mga raliyista.
Laging nagsasabi na ninenerbyos si Ka Rey bago magtalumpati at tuwing maitatalagang magtalumpati sa mga rali at aktibidad. Pero kapag hawak na niya ang mikropono, ibinubuhos niya ang laman ng puso at isip niya, lalo na ang pagkasuklam sa kalagayan ng mga manggagawa at sa mga naghaharing uring responsable sa kalagayang ito.
Tulad ng maraming manggagawa at maralita, Bisaya si Ka Rey, tumungo sa Kamaynilaan para makipagsapalaran. Lumalabas ang puntong Bisaya niya sa pagtatalumpati, at natatandaan ni M, isa pang aktibista sa kilusang paggawa, kung paanong naaaliw rito si Ka Rey at iba pang Bisayang lider-masa.
Pero para sa kanila, ang pagka-Bisaya ay hindi masamang katangian ng pananalita na dapat baguhin, kundi isang karakter ng pagsasalita na umaantig, tumatawag, kumakabig at tumatalab sa maraming tagapakinig.
May panahong nakilala ng ilang unyonista at aktibista Ka Rey ay kaugnay ng kababaihan. Matikas, mapagmalasakit, bukod pa sa mahusay na lider-manggagawa, kaakit-akit siya sa kababaihan at siya naman ay naaakit sa kanila.
Pero sa kanyang pagkamulat, sa pagiging matapat at mapagkumbaba niya sa mga kasama, at sa pagtulong ng mga kasama, naging tapat siya sa kanyang maybahay. Simple niya itong ipinapaliwanag sa mga nagtatanong, kahit bagong kakilala: ito’y para mas makatutok sa pagsusulong ng pakikibaka, at para hindi makatapak sa karapatan ng kababaihan na inaapi sa lipunan.
Ang mga janitor ng iba’t ibang pamantasan at k0mpanya, itinuturing na “hindi esensyal” sa paglikha ng produkto o pagbibigay ng serbisyo. Kaya naman ipinapailalim sa mga ahensya ng manpower na laging pinapalitan, kaya naman hindi direktang ineempleyo. Tulad din ng mga manggagawa sa kabuuan, itinuturing ng mga naghahari na hindi esensyal sa pagtakbo ng lipunan.
Sa ganitong kalakaran nakikita ng mga manggagawa na esensyal ang katotohanang kailangang baguhin ang sistema. At nalalaman nila, gayundin ng mga kapanalig nila, sa proseso, na esensyal ang papel nila sa pakikihamok para sa naturang pagbabago.
Marami ang naiyak sa balita ng pagkamatay ni Ka Rey. Pero taas-kamao silang nagpupugay, at pinagtitibay ang panata na isusulong ang tunay na pagbabagong panlipunan hanggang tagumpay.
13 Marso 2018
People’s health as a business
The Financial Times reported that among the top selling products of big pharmaceutical companies are vaccines.
Main story: Health group to gov’t: Punish those accountable for Dengvaxia mess
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Vaccines have a specific purpose in improving people’s health, said Dr. Gene Nisperos, vice chairperson of the Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD). He said some illnesses could be prevented through the administration of a vaccine.
However, corporations have been raking profits out of vaccines, said Nisperos.
The Financial Times reported that among the top selling products of big pharmaceutical companies are vaccines.
Dr. Romeo F. Quijano, in a forum about the Dengvaxia fiasco organized by the Coalition for People’s Right to Health, Feb. 12, said that what is happening now is not anymore surprising. He said big corporations, like Sanofi, control governments around the world because people’s health has become their business.
Read: The Dengvaxia Fiasco: Symptom of a Deeper Malady
Meanwhile, Nisperos said, governments allow these corporations to take control because of its vested interests. Take for example what had happened in the Dengvaxia mass vaccination program.
He said vaccines have negative and positive effects or what they call as beneficial and adverse effects. In the case of the Dengvaxia, the government and the Sanofi only disclosed the positive effects and not the negative effects, said Nisperos.
“Because the government wanted to implement this in haste not all information were disclosed to the public,” he added. He said the consent given to the children for the mass vaccination was based on incomplete information about the vaccine.
The mass vaccination on Dengvaxia was rolled out in April 2016, when the administration of President Benigno Aquino III was about to end. The Aquino administration and officials of Sanofi held meetings for the government’s procurement of Dengvaxia vaccine in 2015. It was also in December last year when the fund for the payment for the government’s purchase of the vaccine, amounting to P3.5 billion ($667 million), was released through a special allotment release order.
At least 800,000 children were inoculated without a serological test, a procedure to know whether a child has contracted dengue or not.
Read: Dengue mass vaccination was based on politics, not science – health group
A look at Sanofi’s record
Sanofi is one of the largest multinational pharmaceutical companies in the world. Its vaccines division, the Sanofi Pasteur, is the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines. In 2017, it was listed as eighth from among the top 10 pharmaceutical companies in the world with revenues amounting to $33.80 billion in 2016.
Sanofi was the result of the merging of Aventis and Sanofi-Synthelabo in 2004. In 2011, it changed its name to Sanofi.
The company has 81 manufacturing sites in 36 countries around the globe. It also distributes its products in more than 170 countries.
Forbes also listed Sanofi as 94th top multinational performers last year.
Meanwhile, Sanofi is facing a number of cases. According to Good Jobs First’s violation tracker, an online database on corporate crime and misconduct, Sanofi has nine offenses. Among them are a violation of False Claims Act, drug or medical equipment safety violation, pre-fixing or anti-competitive practices, and workplace safety or health violation.
A class suit was filed against Sanofi in the United States over its “vaccine bundling.” According to the New Jersey Law Journal, Sanofi had bundled its pediatric vaccines when their competitor Novartis’s came up with a vaccine called Menveo, similar to their pediatric meningococcal vaccine called Menactra. Sanofi was requiring buyers to purchase its full portfolio of six vaccines exclusively and not to buy the competitor’s product. The lawsuit was filed in 2011 and in Oct. 2017, Sanofi agreed to pay $61 million in settlement.
Reuters also reported in 2012 that Sanofi agreed to pay $109 million to settle charges for violating the False Claims Act.
There are also other charges against Sanofi in countries such as China, Germany, Kenya and the United States, the CPRH said.
Now Sanofi adamantly refuses the demand of the Department of Health for a full refund.
The post People’s health as a business appeared first on Bulatlat.
OBR 2018 | Women rise against ‘fascist, misogynist Duterte’
“We are rising and resisting against our own President who doesn’t seem to know how to respect women’s vaginas.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — “Rise! Resist! Unite!”
Filipino women channeled their rage and disgust for President Duterte’s recent remark degrading women as they celebrated One Billion Rising 2018 on Feb. 14 at Remedios Circle, Manila.
“We are rising and resisting against our own President who doesn’t seem to know how to respect women’s vaginas,” said OBR global director Monique Wilson in her speech.
Read: ‘Duterte. Most dangerous macho-fascist in gov’t – Gabriela Women’s Party
She also lambasted Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque’s defense of Duterte to not take “the shoot vagina remark seriously.” She said it is unacceptable.
“That is why we continue to resist because people in power is worsening the notion that violence against women is normal,” she added.
An effigy of Duterte with tongues laid out symbolizing what they described as habitual sexist tirade against women, were also cut-off.
Former Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo and satirist Mae Paner were also present during the event and performed Pepe Monologues patterned after Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.
Women from different sectors joined the event. The same event was also held in different schools, cities and provinces in the country.
They also paid tribute to their fallen sisters who joined the armed struggle.
One Billion Rising is a global campaign to end violence against women. It was launched on Valentine’s Day in 2012. Every 14th of February, women around the world gather and dance to signify their struggle in ending violence against women in all forms, social, economic, cultural and political.
(Click here to read more about the One Billion Rising in the Philippines.)
The post OBR 2018 | Women rise against ‘fascist, misogynist Duterte’ appeared first on Bulatlat.
Black Hearts Day | Health workers slam CPD law, delayed release of bonus
Black hearts, they said, signify the government’s lack of concern for the plight of health workers, most of whom suffer from long hours of work with not enough take home pay.
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — On Valentine’s Day health workers took to the streets with their calls written in black hearts that they carried marching from España Boulevard to Chino Roces bridge (former Mendiola bridge).
Dubbed as Black Hearts Day, the health workers led by the Alliance of Health Workers (AHW) still have the same long time calls — salary increase, payment of overdue benefits, an end to contractualization, the scrapping of the burdensome Continuing Professional Development (CPD) law and the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN). Black hearts, they said, signify the government’s lack of concern for the plight of health workers, most of whom suffer from long hours of work with not enough take home pay.
Health workers from private and public hospitals joined the protest.
They lamented that their condition is getting worse as neoliberal policies continue to be implemented by the government. Robert Mendoza, AHW chairperson said their salaries could note cope with the incessant price hikes and payment of their benefits has always been delayed. Instead of increasing their salaries, he said, the government implemented TRAIN and CPD law that made their lives more difficult.
“We also play a vital role in saving lives, rain or shine, but we are being neglected by the government,” he said.
The burdensome CPD
The Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 was criticized by licensed professionals as it requires them to earn credit units before they could renew their license. The licenses are renewed every three years. For nurses, they needed to earn 45 units in three years through attending trainings. The trainings must be given by accredited CPD providers. The problem is that the trainings are not being provided for free, said Joselyn Andamo, secretary general of Filipino Nurses United (FNU).
For one, Andamo said, online trainings called self-directed learning under the CPD law cost P1,000 ($19.26). If the nurses will spend for 45 units, that would be a total of P45,000 ($867).
Nurses in rural areas also have difficulty in accessing the self-directed learning. She said nurses who are deployed in far-flung areas have to go to the city center to access the internet.
“The problem is that nurses are underpaid. Private hospitals, for example, give nurses a salary of P7,000 ($135) per month. If they have to spend a thousand for their training how much will be left for their family?” Andamo told Bulatlat in an interview.
Andamo said nurses are having problems in complying with the CPD law as they are already burdened with low salaries, long working hours and thousands of patients to attend to in a day.
Sean Herbert Velchez, registered nurse at the Philippine Orthopedic Center and convenor of Laban Nurses Movement, meanwhile, said professionals, even without the CPD, have been undergoing trainings as they recognize the need to be up to date with developments in their profession. However the implementation of the CPD law has become more of a business.
“CPD is like a gun poked at us, we cannot do anything because if we do not comply, we could not renew our licenses. How can we work?” Velchez told Bulatlat.
Read: ‘Continuing professional development program should be free’ – health groups
PBB not released since 2016
The health workers also lament the long overdue payment of the Performance Based-Bonus (PBB), which has not been released since 2016.
Mendoza said they held a dialogue with the Department of Budget and Management(DBM) last month. They were told that the DBM is now processing the papers that were submitted by the Department of Health. They were also told that their PBB would be released after two weeks.
There are also technicalities in the release of the budget for the PBB that is why, Mendoza said, they are not expecting that the two week deadline of the DBM would be met.
“There is no assurance that it will be released because the budget for circular year 2016 was already spent as well as 2017. They told us that the budget would be sourced from the 2018 budget but what if the Commission on Audit disallowed it?” Mendoza told Bulatlat.
Meanwhile, health groups also reiterated that the salaries of health workers and other government employees should also be increased. “The cost of living is rising because of the implementation of the regressive TRAIN law this year,” said AHW secretary general Benjie Santos.
The group is pushing for a national minimum wage of P16,000 ($308) per month for government employees and P750 ($14.45) per day for private employees.
The health workers vowed to intensify their protests until the government heeds their call.
The post Black Hearts Day | Health workers slam CPD law, delayed release of bonus appeared first on Bulatlat.
‘Duterte, most dangerous macho-fascist in the gov’t’- Gabriela Women’s Party
FILE PHOTO. (Photo by Ronalyn Olea/Bulatlat)“We women have proven our worth and power in different levels, by joining forces with the numerous struggling masses.”
By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com
MANILA — Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) did not take sitting down President Duterte’s latest tirade against women in front of “former rebels” and military officials on Feb. 7 at the Malacanang Palace. In her privilege speech in the House of Representatives on Monday, Feb. 12, GWP Rep. Emmi De Jesus said Duterte’s remark is “very dangerous and alarming as it openly promotes state violence against women, further contributes to the climate of impunity of women’s rights abuses, and emboldens state forces to commit more violations of international humanitarian law.”
“This elevates state terrorism to a whole new level,” she added.
Speaking in Visaya, Durte said in front of the military officials and the alleged surenderees, “There’s a new order coming from the mayor. We won’t kill you. We will just shoot your vaginas so that…If there are no vaginas, it would be useless.”
Duterte’s remark has flooded the headlines including that of international news organizations.
It is clear in Duterte’s speech that he ordered soldiers to shoot women guerillas’ vaginas, De Jesus said.
She added that Duterte’s remark is not a laughing matter referring to the audience who laughed at Duterte’s speech. “How could a statement such as that be acceptable? It was even made inside the Presidential Palace and uttered by no less than the President,” she said.
Duterte just presented himself as a macho-fascist leader, said De Jesus. He enjoys using state sponsored violence to suppress women who are fighting for the rights of the people. She stressed that the armed conflict should not be used as a reason to trample on women’s dignity.
“As we aggressively push, together with our fellow women legislators, for measures here in the House of Representatives that will uplift the status of women in the social, cultural and political fields, unfortunately we have a President who exactly does the opposite. We have a chief executive who casually and consistently degrades, disrespects and offends women and then reasons out that it is just a piece of presidential humor,” De Jesus said in her speech.
‘Duterte inciting war crimes’
Meanwhile, human rights group Karapatan said Duterte’s recent remark is the “latest of the series of this madman’s display of tyranny, lunacy and machismo.”
“Duterte has distinguished himself as a frothing-in-the-mouth fascist, who incites the worst violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) aside from his exhortations to his State forces to disregard basic human and people’s rights,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
The group has listed several instances, mostly through his speeches in front of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that incite commission of war crimes:
Feb. 9 – in a speech in Davao City, Duterte said: “To the Lumad who will be members of the CAFGU, for every NPA you kill, I’ll pay you…you want money? I’ll give you money. I will make it P20,000 ($386) per head.”
Feb. 7 – in a remark before alleged rebel-surrenderees in Malacanang, Duterte said: “Are there any women holding guns?’ ‘Sir, she’s a fighter. An amazon.’ ‘Shoot her in the vagina.”
Nov. 29, 2017 -in a speech in Sual, Pangasinan, Duterte said soldiers should shoot and kill armed NPA rebels: “Shoot them! They will kill you anyway. If there is an armed NPA there or terrorist holding any firearms, shoot … I’ll answer for you.”
FILE PHOTO. (Photo by Carlo Manalansan/Bulatlat)July 25, 2017 – in a press conference held after his State of the Nation Address, Duterte threatened to bomb schools of indigenous peoples in Mindanao: “Leave. I’m telling those in the Lumad schools now, get out. I’ll bomb you. I’ll include your structures.”
May 31, 2017 – in a speech during the Philippine Navy’s anniversary rites in Davao City, Duterte threatened to arrest negotiators and consultants of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines: “I’m warning the leaders who are talking to representatives of my government. Do not attempt to come home. I will arrest all of you and throw you in the slammer, I will imprison you and all the elderly I will arrest you again. If needed, you will just die there inside the prison. You cannot run anymore … so, stop fucking the government.”
May 26, 2017 – in a speech before soldiers of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry (Magbalantay) Brigade of the Philippine Army in Iligan City, Duterte joked that soldiers could rape up to three women and that he will take responsibility for this and other acts of his men in line with martial law in Mindanao: “If you go down, I go down. But for this martial law and the consequences of martial law and the ramifications of martial law, I and I alone would be responsible. Just do your job, I will take care of the rest… If you had raped three, I will admit it, that’s on me.”
March 9, 2017 – Duterte ordered the AFP and the Philippine National Police to use all its assets, including newly acquired jets and drop bombs on NPA rebels: “Go ahead! Flatten the hills! If there’s collateral damage, then sorry.”
Palabay said these statements of Duterte’s only emboldened State forces to commit more human rights violations as these are considered orders from a commander-in-chief of the military.
She also cited the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) which stipulates human rights and IHL principles and standards that applies to civilians or those taking no active part in the hostilities; combatants who have surrendered or laid down their arms; those placed hors de combat by sickness, wounds or any other cause; persons deprived of their liberty for reasons related to the armed conflict; and relatives and duly authorized representatives of above-named persons.
Palabay said peace advocates, communities and human rights activists have constantly demanded for the Philippine forces’ compliance with the CARHRIHL amid several violations.
CARHRIHL was the first agreement signed among five substantive agenda in the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. It was signed in March 1998 during President Joseph Estrada’s administration.
Read: What The Hague is, CARHRIHL, CASER, and JASIG? An overview of Philippine peace documents
“It is thus no wonder, that his foot soldiers in the military up to his minions in the executive branch, the police, and in both houses of Congress have shown the same kind of braggadocio, which is but a mere expression of the Duterte regime’s cowardice to account for its crimes against the Filipino people,” Palabay concluded.
Women rising against fascism
If Duterte thinks that women will become useless by annihilating their genitals, he is mistaken, said De Jesus. She added that women should not be measured based on her vagina or her uterus. She said women proved that they were part of making history; they could rise against abuse and violence and against despotic leaders who degrade women.
“We women have proven our worth and power in different levels, by joining forces with the numerous struggling masses,”she said.
In a statement, One Billion Rising (OBR) founder and artistic director Eve Ensler said Duterte’s statement is “a bloody outrage and every one of us must stand to fight this bloody tyrant.”
“Remember it was the Predator in Chief of America who emboldened Duterte on his last visit and it was right after that dissenters and members of resistance, young women in One Billion Rising were killed and others disappeared. We must stand with Gabriela and all our sisters and brothers rising against macho tyranny in the Philippines,” she said.
On Feb. 14, De Jesus said thousands of women will once again hold the fifth OBR Revolution 2018 with women around the globe to stand against violence against women.
In Manila, women’s group Gabriela will lead the OBR event to express their rage against what they call as Duterte’s rising macho-fascist dictatorship. They will be joined by various women’s groups, students, workers and government employees whowill gather at Remedios Circle 10:00 am on Valentine’s Day.
The post ‘Duterte, most dangerous macho-fascist in the gov’t’- Gabriela Women’s Party appeared first on Bulatlat.