Dear Pilipinas, bakit parang gusto mo na lang talagang maging suki sa listahan ng mga “worst countries for labor rights”?
Yes, mga friendships, it's official—for the nth year in a row, the Philippines has once again made it to the Global Hall of Shame for workers' rights. According to the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), we’re still up there with the likes of Bangladesh, Belarus, and Egypt. Yung level ng recognition na hindi mo maipagmamayabang sa LinkedIn.
Ano ba kasi ang meron tayo, bakit tayo laging pasok sa Top 10?
Here are the usual suspects—baka pamilyar ka:
- Union? Sa drawing lang.
Trying to start a union here is like trying to build a treehouse during a typhoon. “Bawal yan, subersibo!” ‘Di ba dapat unionize, not penalize? - Job security? More like job insecurity.
Marami sa atin ay naka-contractual pa rin kahit may law na dapat "endo no more."
Pero guess what?
Endo is still alive and well. Parang zombie sa teleserye—patay na daw, pero buhay na buhay pa rin. - Protests? Puwede, basta huwag mag-ingay.
Peaceful rallies? Puwede. Pero minsan may kasamang jeep ng pulis, bonus pa ang tarpaulin na "communist front" kayo.
Kasi nga naman, saan ka pa makakakita ng protest na may side quest—survive the intimidation level 9000? - Wages that make you cry, not buy.
Minimum wage vs. cost of living = TKO.
A full day's work, tapos ang kaya lang bilhin ay sardinas, kanin, at… emotional resilience.
But wait, there’s more!
Killings of union leaders —oo, totoo ‘yan. Parang may VIP target list pa minsan.
Red-tagging? That’s basically our version of “Don’t speak up or else.”
Lack of enforcement? Think of it as rules written in pencil... at sa ulan.
And what does the government say? “We are committed to improving labor conditions.” Sure, Jan. Pero hanggang press release lang ba ulit tayo this year?
So, ano na? Should we cry or laugh?
Honestly, both.Because Filipino workers deserve better than “Congratulations, you made it again to the worst countries for labor rights!” We’re talking about real people here—yung mga nagbubuhat ng ekonomiya habang sila mismo ay binubuhat ng utang, gutom, at unfair treatment.
The Silver Lining (Kahit manipis lang)
More workers are waking up. More groups are pushing back.
Social media is now a platform not just for budol finds but also for labor finds—yung mga stories of struggle, resistance, and hope.
So kahit mukhang “repeat offender” ang bansa pagdating sa workers’ rights, we’re also seeing repeat defenders: mga manggagawang lumalaban, lumalantad, at hindi na basta-basta pumapayag.
Final Thoughts:
Philippines, mahal ka namin. Pero please, for once…Let’s not be proud repeaters sa listahang ito. Gumawa naman tayo ng headlines na hindi nakakahiya. ‘Wag puro “Worst Countries for Labor Rights”... baka naman next year, maging “Most Improved”? At kung hindi, well… see you sa protest. Bitbitin niyo pancit, ‘cause we’ll be fighting on an empty stomach again.