NGO for unorganized workers launched

Noel Sales Barcelona

Editor in Chief

WORKERS HEADLINES

March 2013

MANILAHope shines now to unorganized sector of labor as the All- Gathering a strong support Workers Forum launches AWF boasts support from the its programs and projects different grassroots and labor on March 8. organizations, thus making it already
It has been a long time since more than 32 million of Filipino entire workforce remained defenseless against abuses as they were not member of any union. But now there is hope. Atty. Joseph T. Entero says that the All-Workers Forum, Inc.() would be a unique labor center since it is where the capital and labor would meet. Business is not only about profit and capital; it is also about human resource. A machine would remain a machine and it cannot work without any human intervetion. That is why, the idea of creating a labor center which would serve as a platform for a friendly dialouge between stakeholders, that is, capital and labor, is what he had in mind in registering the the organization, Entero said in an email interview. Registered just last year at the Securities and Exchange Commission, the AWFI is being managed by labor experts, including two lawyers and some labor organizers and sympathizers. Atty. Edwin S. de la Cruz, also a veteran labor lawyer and expert in maritime labor laws serves as the Vice President for Legal Affairs of the group while Samuel Roland M. Ganzan serves as Corporate Secretary and its chief operating officer. Other officers include: Capt. Anthony Dan S. Ogbinar, Corporate treasurer; Ms. Anna Lisa D. Maligat, Vice President for Membership; Ms. Lolit Payumo, Vice President for Logistics and Support Services; Jose Mari P. Entero, and Assistant Vice President for Logistics and

Support Services. Other members of the Board of Trustees were Michael Gerardo P. Mencias and Renato P. Uy.

a strong organization. Its rosters of supporters include the Intenational Seafarers Action Center (Philippines) Foundation, Inc.; National Union of Filipino Seafarers Crewing Danish Ships, Inc. (FILDAN); Bank of Commerce Employees Association (BOCEA); GSIS Family Bank Employees Union; Philippine Congress of Employees; and International Wiring Systems Workers Union Tarlac. As time goes by, we will try to enlist more organizations and institutions that will suppor the laborers cause. Furthermore, we are now gearing for a massive recruitment of individuals, as our members, says Entero. Via their website, Ganzan on the other hand said, one can automatically enlist himself as a member and with a minimal membership fee, he or she could enjoy some priviliges such as free labor consultation, accident and hospitalization benefits, subscription the news and information packets being published by AWF, and entrance to the AWFs symphosiums and seminars.

All-Workers Forum supports MTM Partylist

MANILAThe newly established labor center AllWorkers Forum, Inc. had expressed its support to the Mamamayan Tungo sa Maunlad na Pilipinas (MTM Phils.) partylist, which is vying a seat in the 16th Congress.
grade school to high school. He finished a Bachelors degree major in Political Science at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, which he was a consistent at the Deans List. He graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 1981. On that same university he finished his Bachelor of Laws and was admitted at the Philippine Bar in 1986. From then on, he practiced law focusing on labor cases. Aside from being a labor lawyer, he also founded and co-founded various organizations advancing the rights of the poor and the underprivileged. On the other hand, the MTM first nominee, Renato P. Uy is a Samarnon, who has started his political career as a city councilor of the first district of Calbayog City in 1989. He has completed three termsor nine yearsas councilor in his city and had also served his beloved province as a Provincial Board Member from 2001 up to 2010. He is concurrently the Vice President of the Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines. (30)

Membership everyone

is

open

to

Notwithstanding the workers or employees status in his company, he could avail AWF membeship. As long as he is not the owner of the company, he could be a member of the AWF, Ganzan explained. This, according to Ganzan, gives much opportunity for everyone to get involved in developing a friendlier working environment for labor and capital.

In its website, it said that it fully support MTM Phils., as it has its founding chairman and Chief Executive Officer Atty. Joseph T. Entero serves as partylists second nominee. Based on the MTMs website, the partylist is consist of different sectors representing the Filipino people as a whole. Entero, aside from being the founding chairman of AWFI, also serves as the vice-president and the secretary general of another non-governmental organization (NGO), International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC) Philippines Foundation, which is in the forefront on the advancement of the Filipino seafarers rights. Based on his curriculum vitae published both in MTM Phils. and AWFs website, Entero is the 6th of the nine brood of Mr. Valeriano Q. Entero, Sr. and Dominga D. Tolang (now deceased) and has been a consistent honor student from

Noli Sta. Maria

Correspondent

March 2013

NATIONAL
for Pag-IBIG, SSS and PhilHealth membership. Because many of us work at night, simply processing a request may really be hard for some of us. Many of the institutions that manage our

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benefits who are supposed to help us get through crucial parts of our lives are renowned for delayed processing, unbelievable load of requirements, and even red tape, BIEN explained.

BPO firms not remitting mandatory deductions?

Noel Sales Barcelona
MANILAThe BPO [Business Process Outsourcing] Industry Employees Network (BIEN) holds some call center firms guilty of not remitting mandatory contributions such as Social Security System, PagIBIG and PhilHealth. In a press statement published on its website (http://www.bienphilippines. com) it says that some companies deliberately not remitting these contributions and the poor employee would only notice the anomaly when they file loans and other claims on the aforementioned State health and social insurance and housing agencies. These benefits are really important to us BPO employees. Everyday, we face hazardous environments on our way to work and health risks with our night schedule. We also think of our future, about our retirement. We hear stories, however, about difficulties in accessing these benefits stories about unremitted contributions, ineligibility to apply for loans, and other problems that arise when employees try to avail of these benefits, BIEN stated. Meanwhile, BPO employees are also facing some difficulties when it comes to processing the necessary requirements in applying

Noel Sales Barcelona MANILAThe BPO [Business Process Outsourcing] Industry Employees Network (BIEN) sympathized with their 200 colleagues in Cebu, who were illegally sacked by CordiaPhilippines. The termination is due to the untimely closure of the company. News reports said that only 23

Sacked BPO employees gather sympathy

out of the 200 employees had filed formal complaints before the National Labor Relations Commission (NLRC), asking the owners of Cordia-Philippines to pay their unpaid salaries and to clarify where did their SSS, PhilHealth and other mandatory deductions go. It is said that the management

(cont. on page 5)

It is a non-stock, non-partisan organization of the unorganized, non-unionized laborers, workers and employees. It offers a helping hand and a shoulder to lean on to non-unionized and unorganized workers, whether working domestic or overseas, regular, casual, contractual, itinerant, temporary, permanent, rankand-file, supervisory, confidential or managerial, private or public. It also provides proper and convenient venue for discussion, deliberation and debate, interaction, exchange of ideas, opinions, experiences, and information about their jobs, working conditions, and all other matters and issues that affect them. Through this FORUM, the workers shall empower themselves as an effective and potent force that could shape their future and secure their own destiny. We believe that an empowered and united labor force can effectively secure and defend themselves from any forms of abuse, oppression and exploitation. AWF has a pool of qualified and competent labor lawyers and practitioners and staff who are more than willing to help its members with legal needs. It also offers welfare benefits and assistance to qualified members under its various programs and projects designed to alleviate and uplift their social and economic condition. Currently it is conducting a massive nationwide campaign for membership.

W h a t i s AW F I ?

AWF Vision: ALL-WORKERS FORUM envisions an economically secure, socially and politically mature labor force, fully empowered to choose its way of life and determine and shape its own future. An economically secure worker has income that is more than sufficient to provide him and his family with basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, health care, education and relaxation. A worker is socially mature when he can freely mingle, interact and relate with fellow workers regardless of status, gender, race, or religious beliefs and affiliations, without sacrificing quality

time with his own family. Political maturity is achieved when a worker knows his legal and contractual rights by heart. He has the full freedom to exercise, protect and defend himself against any form of abuses, oppression or exploitation that would diminish his dignity, honor and respect as a citizen and human being. A politically mature worker realizes that he has the potential, ability and power to influence and shape a better society. ALL-WORKERS FORUM envisions ONE, UNITED, and VIGILANT workforce that would serve as a pillar in the nations economic growth and

progress. Mission: ALL-WORKERS FORUM aims to promote, organize and support an enlightened, strong, united and responsible workforce with the full capacity to defend and protect themselves from any forms of abuse and thus, secure for themselves just and humane conditions of work. This would be achieved not only by educating the workers of their rights under their contract of employment, existing laws, rules and regulations, labor conventions, treaties, bilateral and multilateral agreement entered into the Philippines with third parties or entities, but also their duties and responsibilities in the workplace in particular, and in the society in general, towards the establishment of a better society. It seeks to bridge the gap between workers and capital to achieve unity and cooperation and thus, bring about industrial harmony, increased efficiency and productivity that should ultimately redound to the welfare and benefits of the workers. Conformably to the national policy, the fruits of labor should be fairly and equitably distributed to those responsible in producing them. The AllWorkers Forum also aims to promote decent work and secure dignity, respect and fair treatment that the workers truly deserve. (NSB) (Source: http://www.allworkersforum.org)

OPINION

March 2013 EDITORIAL

to about to alleviate poverty by providing informal workers their rights to healthcare and other social benefits? To where do these informal workers ran for protection about their complaints on their employers abuses? They are left alone under the heat of the sun or in the cold of rain after being terminated for trumped up causes. Seldom does an informal worker have any nerve to file a complaint because they do not belong to any union, association or federation. The protection of the workers rights and the promotion of the welfare are one of the primary reasons for the creation of the ALL-WORKERS FORUM, INC. (AWFI) It is a must that every worker knows his rights, they be statutory or contractual. However, knowing his rights is not enough. He must be able to exercise and to use them against any form of abuse. Thus, AWF does provide the workers with necessary tools through labor advisories, legal counseling and assistance, seminars and workshops. The AWFI provides legal assistance and free counseling to workers on money claims, contract violations, and other employment-related concerns. Workers are also confronted with legal problems that may affect their efficiency and productivity in work. Thus, AWFs counseling services may also extend to personal, domestic and non-labor related concerns of the workers. It has qualified; competent and experienced labor lawyers, practitioners and staff who are more than willing to assist the members in addressing their legal needs.

Can capitalists enrich themselves alone? Can manufacturing produce products by machines alone? Can the nations economy grow and progress without the pillars working for it? Can politicians win without the mass votes? All these are counted on the WORKERS. Workers make the capitalists richer everyday Manufacturing outputs are measured by the number of efficient workers man the machines The nations economic growth and progress are propelled by the number of workers in every economic wheel Politicians count much on workers for the mass votes for the winning candidates. But in most cases, Workers welfare are seemingly overlooked, employment, whose ranks have about half of the countrys labor they are oftentimes abused, been increasing through the force or 77% of the countrys total especially the workers in informal years, with estimates varying from employed based on Labor Force Survey. Most of the poor are working in an informal employment and these are the workers who are vulnerable to abuses of their employers. Article II, Section 9 of the Philippine Constitution declares that The State shall promote a just and dynamic social order that will ensure the prosperity and independence of the nation and free the people from poverty through policies that provide adequate social services, promote full employment, a rising standard of living, and an improved quality of life for all. But has our government done something about this constitutional provision for the workers? We have so many Bills and Laws about workers protection, but in most cases, they are overlooked by our leaders and are only remembered come election season. Has our Labor Department, the local governance done something

The Nations Undisputed Asset... WORKERS!

March 2013

SPECIAL REPORT-BPO
have the right connections even if you have what it takes to be a leader. Apart from this, personal and family relationships are broken because married employees from agent level all the way up to top management get into a relationship with their co-employees. Pressure is also high for operations side because they need to meet targets and if they dont, the company can easily send them out. That is why attrition rate in a call center is increasingly high. Because apart from competition is tough from agent level posts all the way up to managerial posts, most of the employees do not feel their self-

5
worth because there is very little movement in the organization. Based from my experience and observations, working in a call center could be fun and exciting because of the pay and other employee benefits, the unending company organized parties and events, no strict dress code policies, locations of offices are strategically along Makati, Ortigas, Eastwood and Fort areas where public transportation is not a problem and working with hip people between the ages of 2235 makes you feel young but it sure can be stressful too because its fast paced and progressive.

Working in a call center

Cheryl May T. Samaniego

Working for a call center for over 5 years has taught me so much about the industry. I have personally witnessed our call center grow from scratch. The most important ingredient is hiring a good leader who will source a good team that will work for him. Initially he needs the following leaders to perform specific roles in the organization. Recruitment Head to help source out the best leaders in the industry. Positions that initially need to be filled in are the high level management posts HR head - take care of the rewards and compensation packages of employees, organizational development and all other employees related services Facilities head the person who will build the call center office and infrastructure; he will coordinate closely with contractors and suppliers to create a very conducive call center environment IT Head someone who has the technical expertise in building the IT infrastructure requirements of the call center based on the need Training Head someone who will train hired agents and representatives later on Providing this information would lead us to a realization that the call center success is highly dependent on the abilities and skills of its people or employees occupying the top level management positions for the simple reason that they are the main DRIVERs of the organization. They should be role models of the company but are they really setting a good example to their subordinates? They should be That is why our company is finding continuous means to keep their high performing leaders within the

company by bathing them with different kinds of monetary and non-monetary benefits some of which include generous shares of stocks, profit sharing, other bonuses and incentives, car options etc... Since the Philippines more often serve as the back office of a mother company based abroad, glitches are but natural in this world. Politics is widespread in this kind of industry. Even if you are a solid performer, you cannot move up and climb the ladder of success if you dont

Noel Sales Barcelona

BPO by the numbers

of the entire BPO sector is around $150 billion and to reach up to $250 billion in the next three years. It is cheap labor and the English proficiency that drives the call center in the Philippines. The salary of the local center agent is 50 to 80 percent lower compared to the agents in the United States. This rate also applies to India, which the Philippines is expected to surpass the coming years. One writer has written three years ago saying: Labour typically makes up 60% of the cost of a call centre, so reducing labour costs by 50-70% through offshore outsourcing has a tremendous impact. While costs are lower from the point

CALLING it a sunshine industry, the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry promises better pay and wholesome benefits to young and not-soyoung professionals. With the estimated accelerated growth both in profits and in assets, BPO workers still face some challenges, especially when it comes to their benefits, salaries, and health. Here is some statistics about the Philippines sunshine industry: 350,000 500,000 is the number of yuppies and other professionals/ subprofessionals working in a booming call center industry 16,000 20,000 pesos is the expected salary of an employee who will explore the call center world 5 is the number of call center types inbound, outbound, web-enabled, telemarketing, and phone call center 50 is the average call that a BPO employee (on-board) receives per day 3,000 is the average population of agents of a call center The call center employees are expected to reach 2 million by 2015, from only 500,000 in the average today. 24/7 is of operation time of a call center, which includes Philippine holidays 12.2 billion US dollars is the average income that the entire call center industry had raked in 20104 and it is expected to balloon up to US$25 billion annually, until 2015;5 the current market value

of view of the US companies, the skilled and knowledge workers in the developing countries are benefited by the increase in their incomes since their current salaries for local work are still lower compared to the workers of the developed countries. The top 10 call centers in the Philippines are: Convergys, E-Telecare, SVI, Aegis People Support, Teleperformance, ICT Group, West Services, Epixtar, Teletech, and Telus. (Sources: http://www.callcentersresource. com/call-center-types.html; http://www. tucp.org.ph/news/index.php/2012/03/callcenter-statistics/; http://www.teletech.com/ news/enterprise-management/bpo-growingfast-in-the-philippines-800270427)

Sacked BPO...
(cont. on page 5)
still owes the 200 employees P15 to P20 million (US$368,188.66 $490,918.21) in payables. It is apparent that even the socalled countrys sunshine industry is not spared from fly-by-night companies, which obviously include Cordia-Philippines. What happened to our fellow BPO workers in Cordia-Philippines is not the first. The case...clearly shows that BPO employees, like migrant workers who keep the countrys economy

afloat, are also prone to violations of their labor rights, BIEN said. We are concerned that the Department of Labor and Employment and other concerned government agencies have failed to monitor the operations of CordiaPhilippines. We raise the question: Is the DOLE monitoring BPO companies so as to weed out fly-bynight ones like Cordia-Philippines? it added. Meanwhile, BIEN also urges the NLRC to expedite the decision on the case and grant the employees what is due them.

FEATURES

March 2013

Seafarers NGO kicks off another MLC

QUEZON CityThe International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC) had started a new leg of its Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) 2006 educational campaign in Ilo-Ilo as part of its commitment to advance seafarers rights and welfare. ISAC had been in the forefront of the ratification campaign of the Convention, some six years ago and even organized a series of forums discussing the importance of the labor instrument to both employers and the workers. Atty. Edwin S. de la Cruz, ISAC president in a statement said, now that Convention has been ratified last year, the continuous education and campaign on the pertinent provisions of the aforementioned international labor instrument is inevitable. The situation of our 400,000 Filipino seafarers is not getting any better. However, with the recent developments in the MLC 2006 ratification, there is a bigger chance for them to get what is due them: right salary, protection of their rights, and a better working environment, says the veteran labor lawyer. More than 80 students from the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University have attended the seminar which dealt mostly on the issues that the future and current seafarers are facing. ISAC information and communications chief Cristina Clemente Tiozon has discussed the seafarers situation while de la Cruz focused on the overview and the implementation of the six-year old convention.

MLC ratification has been slow

But the ratification of said convention was not that easy. Since 2006, different groups have been campaigning for the adoption of the MLC in the Philippines but, it took it six years before it was ratified and submited

to the International Labor Office in Geneva. The review for the possible ratificationand eventually, the adoptionof the MLC 2006 had begun during the years of the administration of Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. When Mr. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III had assumed power in 2010, his administration had also

been slow in ratifying the MLC. It took his administration a year, before MLC was ratified despite the fact that we our country is one of the huge suppliers of maritime workers in the world, says Dada Nava, of the ecumenical group, Faith and Deed Movement which

(cont. on page 11)

March 2013

CLASSIFIED ADS

SPECIAL REPORT - WOMEN

Using Government data, it also stated that jobless women had the total employed women in 2011, according to that study, using

March 2013
continue, critics observe, thus the increase of impoverished sectors, which include, most of the time, women. The CWR revealed that 49.41 percent of employed women in agriculture, hunting and forestry sectors are unpaid family workers, while 69.47 percent are unpaid in the fishing industry. In 2009, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN had stated that the participation of women in the agriculture sector has also suffered a steep decline between 2009 2011. That is why, the peasant women organization Amihan said, around 800,000 women in the countryside had turned to prostitution just to fill in the gaps in their meager income. Women face a serious gender gap in access to productive resources. Women control less land than men and the land they control is often of poorer quality and their tenure is insecure. Women own fewer of the working animals needed in farming. They also frequently do not control the income from the typically small animals they manage. Women farmers are less likely than men to use modern inputs such as improved seeds, fertilizers, pest control measures and mechanical tools. They also use less credit and often do not control the credit they obtain. Finally, women have less education and less access to extension services, which make it more difficult to gain access to and use some of the other resources, such as land, credit and fertilizer. These factors also prevent women from adopting new technologies as readily as men do. The constraints women face are often interrelated and need to be addressed holistically, explains the UN-FAO. However, this is not limited to the Philippines but also in other agricultural countries in Asia, Africa and other parts of the world as well.

Women continously discriminated at work - think-tank

Noel Sales Barcelona
Editor in Chief

The independent think-tank on women, Center for Womens Resources (CWR) last Valentines day issued a research packet which stated, women participation in labor is on 50.10 percent, or more than 28 percentage points lower than men. This, says the group, is an indicator of discrimination at the workplace, since there is no equal job opportunity available for girls and women at their working age. reached a whopping 1.06 million last year. Women laborers and unskilled workers receive a meager average of Php.142.80 (US$3.50) daily wage. They compose 27 percent of the latest data from the National Statistics Office (NSO), the States census agency.

MANILASad, but true: women are continuously being discriminated at the workplace.

More discrimination in the agriculture sector

The Philippines, notwithstanding its economic progress remains an agricultural country. The countryside still breeds impoverished sectors such as fisherfolks, farmers, and agricultural workers. Women lag far behind men in access to land, credit and decent jobs, even though a growing body of research shows that enhancing womens economic options boosts national economies. Macroeconomic policies and policy-making can make the connections to gender equality. The multiple barriers that prevent women from seizing economic opportunities must be dropped, observes the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UNWomen formerly Unifem). In the Philippines, the issue on land ownership and distribution under the 25-year old Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which was extended under the Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyos term, in 2007 by the virtue of Republic Act 9700. As the problem of land ownership

March 2013
Danica Zita Castillo
Historically, it was during the discovery and development of oil industry that started the influx of migrant workers in the Middle East. Professionals and managerial positions are usually filled up by those who are from the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK). Meanwhile, South East Asian and the Indian Sub-Continent has become the major suppliers of the semi-skilled workers. The year 1973 was when the first batch of Filipino migrant workers (FMWs) arrived in Saudi Arabia. Since then, they never stop looking for employment in the said country. Today, the Embassy of Saudi Arabia processes over 800 jobs every day. Aside from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is another Middle Eastern country where a

SPECIAL REPORT-OFW
lot of FMWs work. According to the Philippine Embassy in UAE, there are 450,000 or 4.3% of the entire population in Dubai alone. Qatar is another country in the Middle East where Filipinos choose to work. According to a news article in balita.ph, there are over 200,000 Filipinos working in Qatar. Most of them are working as domestic helpers and construction workers. The Middle East may be abundant in terms of employment opportunities; there are still those who choose not to work there. In a survey by OFW guide, the following are the top 3 reasons why some OFWs choose not to work in the Gulf area: 1. Unbearable weather. During summer, the weather in the Middle East is extremely hot and dry while during winter, the weather is extremely cold. Either way, this extreme opposite condition of the Middle Eastern Weather is unbearable to most OFWs.

How did Filipinos become a frequent view in the Mid-East?

2. Middle East is a frightening place. The laws and policies in the Middle East are strictly implemented in the Middle East. This is definitely a culture shock for Filipinos who are used to complacent law implementation. 3. Cruel and mean. Probably because of the physical attributes of most Middle Eastern people, they are usually mistaken as cruel and mean. Aside from that, there are many cases of maltreatment committed by Middle

Eastern Families to Filipino OFWs. In the Middle East, there are many employment opportunities. You can say that the weather is quite similar to the Philippines and it is relatively easier to apply for a job there compared to western countries like the United States of America (USA) and the United Kingdom (UK). With over 1.5 Million Filipinos working and living in the Middle East, every OFW will always feel close to home. (30)

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ENTERTAINMENT

March 2013

Artista man, manggagawa rin

ni Boy Villasanta
Nang itatag ng namayapang direktor at kinalaunan ay naging Pambansang Alagad ng Sining para sa Pelikula (National Artist for Film) na si Lino Brocka ang Unyon ng mga Manggagawa ng Pelikulang Pilipino noong mga gitnang taon ng 1980s, nagbunyi ang aking diwa dahil sa wakas, hindi lang glamor o ningning ng bituin na bumaba sa lupa mula sa langit at kalawakanna pigtal sa marungis at marahas na katotohanan lalo na sa larangan ng paggawa, mababang pasahod at mataas na presyo ng mga bilihinang magiging hitsura at hilatsa ng mga artista. Kundi ipamumukha nila sa buong lipunang Filipino at sa sandaigdigan na sila man ay mga manggagawa rin na bahagi ng produksyon, ng kapital at tubo, ng pagkita ng pera, ng pagpapagulong ng puhunan, ng pag-inog at pag-ikot ng ekonomiya. Ito ay sa panahong nililikha ni Lino Brocka ang kanyang obra tungkol sa eksploytasyon at kagimbal-gimbal na kondisyon ng paggawa sa Pilipinas sa pelikulang Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim sa pangunguna nina Gina Alajar at Phillip Salvador. Nasa Third World tayo kaya hindi pangunahing konsiderasyon sa higit na nakararaming mamamayanliban na lang sa mga pasosyalang glamor o kislap ng bituin kundi ang pag-alsa ng pamumuhay sa wasto at makatarungang paghahanapbuhay at pagkita ng kuwarta. Dumating at dumagsa noon isang Sabado ng umaga sa St. Marys College Auditorium sa Quezon City ang mga ekstra, character actor at actress, mga walang pangalang bagitot bagita sa showbiz, mga direktor, manunulat, tekniko kabilang ang mga legman, makeup artist, gaffer, kameraman, utility, dubber, boomman, clapper, soundman, editor, production designer, lagarista, musical scorer at marami pang iba. Dumating si Vilma Santos na noon ay bahagyang namumulat sa kamalayan ng mga suliraning panlipunan dahil sa kanyang pagganap sa Sister Stella L ni Mike de Leon. Gayunman, ni anino ni Nora Aunor ay hindi namulatawan samantalang siya ang sagisag at representasyon ng dakilang anak-pawis, ng obrero, ng inaaping sektor ng lipunan. Tulad ng dapat asahan, may mga kontra laban sa pagtatayo ni Lino ng Unyonisang prinsipyo na malamang kaysa hindi ay ilihis ang isip at damdamin ng mga taga-showbiz mismo at ng mga tagatangkilik nito at panatilihing nasa toreng garing ang mga glamoroso at glamorosa sa aninong gumagalaw. Isa rito ang namayapa nang Gayunman, tribute na ito para sa mga manggagawa ng pelikulang Pilipino. Isa si Fernando Poe, Jr. sa mga sumuporta sa kilusang ito ni Joel sa panahong moderato ang pagtrato ni FPJ sa pulitika. Gayunman, ang paghubog at pagtuturo sa madla o sa mga tagaklase ng gawain tulad ng pagtitimpla ng kape para sa shootings o tapings, pag-aalalay sa mga sikat na artista, pagmamaneho sa sasakyan ng mga ito, pagtitimpi sa mga kaartehan at kabaliwan ng mga ito at napakarami pang ibang sistema? O kaya naman ay ang haba o ikli ng oras ng paggawa? Sa ngayon ay pa-morningan pa nga ang taping ng ibang mga soap opera o humahantong pa nga sa humigitkumulang sa beynte kuwatro oras na walang tulugan. Ano ang sangksyon ng ahensiya ng pamahalaan sa ganitong kalakaran bagamat ang legal na implikasyon nito ay kayang lusutan ng sinumang kumpanya na may mahusay at agresibong abugado na mabibigyan ng katarungan ang pagpapatrabaho parang sa kalabaw ng mga taga-showbiz? May kuwento nga ang nagtapos ng Nursing at ngayon ay premyado at magaling na aktres na si Chanel Latorre kaugnay sa child star na si Mary Louise Rey, ang nagbida noon sa mga teleserye ng GMA Network na Munting Heredera at Aso ni San Roque. Nang ginagawa ani Chanel ni Mary Louise ang Munting Heredera, kailangang pakainin nang pakainin ng mga tsokolate at matatamis na kukutin ang paslit para hindi antukin at matapos ang kanyang trabaho sa gabi o kaya naman ay hanggang kinaumagahan. Ang epekto ng pagpapakaing ito ng maasukal sa bata ay diabetes. Kaya ngayon ay nagtuturok si Rey ng insulin sa kanyang sarili kahit na sa set ng kanyang bagong telenovela, ang Bukod Kang Pinagpala kasama sina Latorre, Jenica Garcia, Mark Anthony Fernandez at Camille Prats. Pero baka naman may pinirmahang kasunduan ang magulang nito kaugnay sa maaaring ipagawa sa bata sa produksyon o ang tinatawag na waiver kahit labas na sa mga karapatan ng isang manggagawa ay napapakiusapan at napapabayaan? Di kaya? Kaya walang responsibilidad at ligtas sa katungkulan at tungkuling opisyal ang kumpanya sa anuman ang kahihinatnan ng paggawa ng isang artista. Madalas nating mabasa sa mga opening o closing credits ng isang

prodyuser at direktor na si Leroy Salvador. Maraming tanong at duda kundi man pagsalungat si Leroy sa ikapagtatagumpay ng organisasyon. Pero hindi nawalan ng lakas ng loob at bisyon si Brocka kaugnay ng kanyang liderato sa mga trabahador ng industriya ng pelikula. Itinuloy niya ang laban kahit siya ay nag-iisa. Kahit ningas-kugon lang ang simpatya at interest ng mga lumagda at sumapi sa pagbubuo ng grupo, sumige si Lino sa paglalantad sa mga katangian ng isang aktor at aktres bilang manggagawa. Hanggang ngayon, kahit sa alaala na lamang ay ipinamumukha ni Lino na ang mga taga-showbiz ay tunay na manggagawa ng produksyon. Nakapanghihinayang nga at walang nagpatuloy sa mga layunin ni Brocka kahit marami ang progresibo ang puso at utak sa showbiz. Sumusunod nga si Joel Lamangan sa mga yapak at aral ni Lino pero hindi unyon ang ginamit niyang kataga sa pagtatatag niya ng Nagkakaisang mga Manggagawa ng Pelikulang Pilipino kundi ang pang-uring nagkakaisa na humigit-kumulang, napaka-generic at hindi masyadong militante at mapuwersa.

showbiz mismo na tanawin ang kondisyon nila sa industriya sa perspektiba bilang mga trabahador ay unti-unting kumakapit sa mga kamalayan sa loob at labas ng larangan. May iba pang paraan kundi man daanin sa santong paspasan ay sa santong dasalan, ika nga, dahil, sa sikolohiya ng mga Filipinong naduhagi na sa pagpaparaya kaya hindi naman nga ba kailangang piliting magkaisa ang mga manggagawa sa pelikula para ipamukhang sila ay mga manggagawa nga kundi kusa nga itong mambubulabog at mangungunsiyensiya sa pagdaraan ng mga araw, sa paghabi ng mga ito ng kasaysayan? Ito ay kahit puwede namang madaliin ang pag-asenso ng kaisipan sa depinisyon at kahulugan ng isang manggagawa. Sa ngayon, iangkla na muna natin ang mga gawain sa showbiz telebisyon, pelikula, musika, teatro, live entertainment, entabladosa pagtutuon sa mga batas ng Department of Labor and Employment sa ngalan ng paggawa. May mga probisyon nga ang DOLE sa paggawa ng mga taga-showbiz pero nasusunod ba naman ito ng mga namamahala sa mga trabaho lalo na yaong mga rikositos sa mga mababang

See next page

March 2013

OTHER STORIES
Seafarers NGO
(from pg. 6)
is based in Antipolo City, in Rizal. Faith and Deed Movement (FDM) is a loose socio-pastoral organization composed of young Christian and non-Christian professionals. Weve been observing the process the whole time. Since the start-up of the campaigns for its ratification until it was finally amended by the Philippine Senate in December 2011. Seeing the fact that abuses on the rights of our and other nations mariners, the government should have ratified it right away, Nava said in a statement. Nava also noted that even the conservative Roman Catholic Church (RCC) had also called for the ratification by the Philippines of the important labor instrument. Even the Popes representative here in the Philippines, Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, had issued a statement that the government should act on the MLC since the MLC would, somehow, protect the rights of

11
more or less 400,000 Filipinos sailing across the seven seas, Nava added.

victory

to

seafarers

On the other hand, the ratification of the MLC was a victory for the seafarers, says Atty. Joseph T. Entero, secretary-general of ISAC and the founding chairperson of the All-Workers Forum, Inc. If not with the collective struggles of our seafarers, the MLC wont be speedily ratified last year. But the challenge now is how to make sure that every provision is strictly and properly implemented, Entero said in a statement. Meanwhile, the MLC 2006 is the consolidation of more than 60 maritime labor instruments in effect for the last 80 years. It imposes stricter penalties upon ship-owners and other institutions and individuals capitalizing in the seafaring and maritime industries, whenever they violate labor and safety standards.

Noel Sales Barcelona

pelikula o TV ang pagkuha ng permiso ng produksyon o ng paryentes o guardian ng child star mismo mula sa DOLE partikular sa pagsunod sa tamang kondisyon ng paggawa kabilang ang oras ng paggugol nito sa lugar ng pagawaan. Sa kawalan nga ng pagkakaisa sa showbiz at sa iba pang larangan ng paggawa, maraming kalakaran ang kinukuwestyon. Halimbaway ang pag-iisyu ni Mrs. Lily Monteverde, kilala rin sa tawag na Mother Lily, ng PDC o post-dated check sa mga manggagawa. Madalas kaysa hindi, napakahabang panahon ng paghihintay ang petsa ng nakasaad na bayad sa PDC bago mapalitan ng isang tseke. Kung maipapalit naman sa discount, kinakagat na rin ng mga mayari ng tseke kahit sa mataas na porsyento maging pera na lamang ang kapirasong papel. Gaano nga ba ito kamatwid na kalakaran sa industriya? Ano ang mga moral na implikasyon nito? Sa panig naming mga peryodistang pampelikula, nananatiling marami ang isang kahig, isang tuka sa aming hanay sa larangang ito taliwas sa impresyon na

mayayaman ang sumasagisag sa amin sa popularidad ng telebisyon kung saan nakabalandra ang kanilang mga mukha tulad nina Marie Lozano, Boy Abunda, Butch Francisco, Mario Dumaual, Lhar Santiago, Pia Guanio, Gretchen Pullido, Laila Chikadora, Mr. FU o Jeffrey Espiritu, Cristy Fermin, Ricky Lo, Ginger Conejero, Nelson Canlas, Aubrey Carampel, Jeff Fernando, Lolit Solis at marami pang iba. Karamihan sa mga publikasyon na aming pinagsusulatan ay wala nang bayad o kung meron man ay baryabarya na lang kaya paano mamumuhay ng disente ang isang movie reporter na konektado rin sa produksyon at sa pagpapaandar nito? Madalas kaysa hindi, abut-abot na lang ng mga artista o paksang isinusulat o ang tinatawag na presentasyon de la torre ang nangyayari o ipapakita mo ang lathalain sa taong isinulat at aabutan ka ng kahit magkano. Wala nga itong buwis pero wala namang direksyon ang pupuntahan ng buhay pang-ekonomiya ng mga tagapelikula. Pulos kasosyalan lang bagamat dapat ding isaalang-alang ang ilang sibiko ring aspeto ng mga organisasyon sa showbiz mula sa Film Academy of the

ALL-WORKERS FORUM INC.

Program of Activities
Legal Assistance and Advi- workers empowerment! sory...
- On Labor Rights! The AWF provides legal asistance and free counseling to workers on money claims, contract violations, and other employmentrelated concerns. - Seminars & Workshops for
Philippines hanggang sa mga grupo ng mga movie writers at may isa o dalawang sasabihing foundation ang kanilang organisasyon, sa panlabas na anyo lang yon pero pareho rin ang nilalaman sa pangkaraniwang social club. Manggagawa sa pelikula at iba pang sining, magkaisa! Labanan ang kawalang hustisya sa pasahod!

What is Human Trafficking? Human Trafficking is a crime against humanity. It involves an act of recruiting,transporting, transfering, harbouring or receiving a person through a use of force, coercion or other means, for the purpose of exploiting them.
Mananatili namang makulay ang showbiz, ang manggagawang artistaang kaayusan ng reyalidad sa industriyadahil ang mga intriga, tsismis, away, hidwaan, inggitan at iba pang tunggalian at kaaliwaswasan ay nandyan lang naman pero ang pagkita ng malaking suweldo ang mas higit na dapat pag-ukulan ng pansin dahil ito ang batayan ng mahusay na pamumuhay.