Remembering a Giant:
Philippine Labor Movement Marks Ka Bert Olalia’s 100^th Birthday

An icon of the Philippine trade union movement, Felixberto ‘Ka Bert’ Olalia, Sr. was very popular among Filipino workers and activists and earned the respect of even those whose politics he opposed, as he dedicated his full life to the struggle of the working class and the Filipino people. On August 5, the militant labor movement and progressive people’s movement will join Ka Bert’s family to commemorate his 100^th birth anniversary.

BY INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
Bulatlat.com

Shoemaker-turned-labor leader

Born to an impoverished life in Tarlac north of Manila, Ka Bert (August 5, 1904 – December 4, 1983), started to work when he was 16 years old. He left his family in 1920 for Manila to become a worker in a shoe factory. In the factory, Ka Bert took the lead in establishing a labor union and fought for better working conditions. He organized the Union de Chineleros y Zapateros de Filipinos in 1920 and served as its secretary from 1920-1925 and as its president from 1925 to 1940. It was one of the first industrial unions in the Philippines. From being a messenger, he was elected president of the union.

Ka Bert was active in unionism from the very start. He became part of the finance committee of the Collective Labor Movement in 1929, and secretary-general of Katipunan ng mga Anakpawis sa Pilipinas in 1939. He worked with veteran union leaders like Crisanto Evangelista, considered as the Father of the Philippine trade union movement.               

Commander of the Huks 

Ka Bert entwined his championing of the workers’ cause with defending the country’s sovereignty and national interest. Together with nationalist colleagues, he formed in 1942 the League for National Liberation and served as Lt. Colonel from 1942-1943. Later he joined the Allied Forces’ Intelligence Bureau, to monitor and document the activities of the Japanese occupation forces in the Philippines. He was commander of the Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon of the Manila Capital Region from 1944-45.      

Right after World War II through the 1950’s, Ka Bert co-founded and led several national labor unions such as the Congress of Labor Organizations, then the biggest and strongest labor federation in the country with such big government and private companies like the Manila Railroad and Railways (MRR), NAWASA, MERALCO, NDC, and Engineering Island as affiliates.  Thereafter, he became president of the Katipunan ng mga Kaisahang Manggagawa (KKM). He also served as the Chairman for Labor in the first National Labor-Management Conference in July 1951.

KKM was disbanded after Ka Bert was arrested in 1951. Upon release in 1954, he founded the Confederation of Labor in the Philippines (CLP), and later, the National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU) in 1957.

Lobbying for workers’ cause

Ka Bert engaged in active dialogue and lobbying with the legislators of his time; and was instrumental in the adoption of various pro-labor resolutions and laws by the Congress, such as the shortening of the 12 hour-work day to the current 8-hour work in 1934; Republic Act No. 875 or the Magna Carta of Labor; Women and Child Labor Law; Minimum Wage Law; the creation of an Agrarian Court; and other legislations.

In 1970, Ka Bert was sent as an emissary to China and helped in the establishment of diplomatic ties between the Philippine government and the Peoples Republic of China. 

Despite the government’s violent repression of workers, Ka Bert persisted in organizing work and served as vice chairperson of the Katipunan ng Manggagawang Pilipino in 1959, vice-president of Lapiang Manggagawa in 1962, and chairperson of Malayang Samahang Magsasaka (MASAKA) in 1964. He was also active in the labor committee of the Movement for the Advancement of Nationalism (MAN) in 1966.

The government under then President Elpidio Quirino sought to crush the burgeoning trade union movement, and discourage labor leaders. Quirino had Ka Bert arrested for subversion, and later charged him with rebellion in 1956.  Ka Bert, however, persisted in his work.

Anti-Marcos activist

During the height of martial law when strikes and labor unions were outlawed, he founded and became the first national chairperson of Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) in 1980, and of Pagkakaisa ng Manggagawang Pilipino (PMP).  Two years later, on August 13, 1982, the dictator Ferdinand  Marcos had Ka Bert arrested and detained. August 13 is known among workers and activists as the day of the infamous labor crackdown.

Imprisonment was nothing new to Ka Bert. He was arrested and detained in September 1951-1956 for simple rebellion; detained for four and a half months in October 1972 for alleged subversion In the 1982 arrest, he was accused of inciting sedition and conspiracy to commit rebellion. He was placed in solitary confinement, which led to the rapid deterioration of his health. He was transferred to the Camp Crame Hospital and later, on May 1, 1983, to the V. Luna Hospital, due to the recurrence of his rheumatic heart disease; 

In his eight months of detention, Ka Bert’s body grew weak and later, he developed a heart illness. He died of pneumonia in prison.  A day before his death on December 4, 1983, he was still able to send a message to the workers gathered in Plaza Miranda:

“How can I describe Philippine society? It’s a one big isolation cell. Without a doubt, under the U.S.–Marcos dictatorship, Philippines is one big and stinking prison cell. What is the condition of the people? Slaves…exploited…and beggars! Because rights are repressed, livelihood is deprived; the soul is blatantly being sold to the foreign capitalists… The puppies and dogs of Irene Marcos are luckier. They eat on time, they are well–provided with medication, and they even live in a palace!”

Family, labor activists’ tribute

On Tuesday, August 5, the family of the Ka Bert led by his wife Isabel ‘Ka Chabeng’ T. Olalia will hold an all-day tribute for Ka Bert in the Bonifacio Hall of the School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR) in the University of the Philippines, Diliman.

“Ayaw kong mag-isa sa ganitong kahalagang okasyon. Hindi sasapat na laming magkapamilya ang magtipon lamang. Natuto na ako kay Ka Bert at iba pang tulad niya na may malawak tayong lipunan. Sino pa ba ang nanaisin makasama ko sa araw ng kaarawan ni Ka Bert kundi ang mga manggagawa at mamamayang kanyang inaring kadugo at pinagsilbihan nang higit 60 taon?,” said Ka Chabeng.

Among the invited guests are the leaders of the 11 labor federations under the KMU, current KMU chair Elmer Labog, KMU vice-president and president of the National Federation of Labor Unions (NAFLU) which Ka Bert also founded Lito Ustarez;  the three Bayan Muna Representatives Beltran, Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza, activist priest Fr. Joe Dizon, UP President Francisco ‘Dodong Nemenzo’, former Senator Bobby Tanada, Senator Franklin Drilon, Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople, Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, Atty. Amado Gat Inciong, Atty. Pacifico Agabin, Agrarian Reform secretary Roberto Pagdanganan, and leaders of various people’s organizations and labor unions who knew, worked with and loved Ka Bert.

Part of the activities are the unveiling of a photo exhibit featuring pictures of Ka Bert during his heyday as labor leader and anti-imperialist activist; and a tree-planting ceremony. There will be spoken tributes to Ka Bert, his political vision and record as a nationalist.

On the same day, the family of Ka Bert will launch the “Ka Bert Commemorative Society.”

Tribute from the House

In the House of Representatives, Bayan Muna solon Crispin Beltran has filed two legislative measures giving tribute to Ka Bert. The first is a bill providing for the inclusion in social studies and history books of elementary, secondary, and collegiate curricula the lives of Ka Bert and his son, Rolando ‘Ka Lando’ Olalia who was assassinated allegedly by members of the military in 1986. The second is a resolution paying tribute to Ka Bert’s 100^th birthday. So far, some 50 solons have signed the resolution, and the number is expected to grow by August 5.

“It’s only fitting that the House of Representatives give due respect and recognition to a man who dedicated his life to the cause of Philippine Labor Movement. Ka Bert worked untiringly and without thought of self to secure economic equality, justice and democracy for the toiling masses of workers and peasants. His struggle spanned six decades of his life in time of peace or in time of war or even under a repressive martial law regime. The lessons of his life and how he lived it continue to inspire millions of Filipino workers and members of other laboring classes to continue the struggle not just for the recognition and respect of labor rights, but also for genuine freedom and sovereignty,” said Beltran.

Beltran served as Ka Bert’s secretary general in KMU from 1980 to 1983. When Ka Bert’s son Ka Lando became KMU chair, Ka Bel became his vice-president. After Ka Lando was assassinated, Beltran became chairperson, up until May 2003. 

Continuing Ka Bert’s struggle

KMU chairperson Elmer Labog said that KMU continues to uphold the principles Ka Bert lived by. He said that for workers, not much has changed since Ka Bert’s time. “If anything, political and economic conditions for workers have worsened,” he said.

Labog said that under the rubric of the US-Arroyo regime’s “war on terror,” the curtailment and repression of workers’ rights in the Philippines has reached new heights. “By using the post-9/11 terrorist hysteria whipped up by the Bush government, she has waged war against criminal gangs, revolutionary groups as well as legal democratic forces critical of her government including the militant trade union movement in the country,” he said.

Labog pointed out the President Arroyo’s political allies in the legislature have filed seven separate versions of an Anti-Terrorism Bill, in keeping with the Bush government’s advice to enact “anti-terrorist” measures patterned after the U.S.’ PATRIOT Act.

“In the definitions in the anti-terrorism bill, legitimate protest actions by the people such as workers’ pickets, strikes and political rallies may be sanctioned as ‘terroristic’ and punishable as a crime once the bill is enacted into law.  Ominously, the President announced last August 6 that: ‘We will wage war against criminals, terrorists, drug addicts, kidnappers, smugglers and those who terrorize factories that provide jobs.’ – a thinly veiled reference to militant workers who go on strike. Such statements from the highest official of the land attempts to delegitimize workers’ concerted actions and intimidate workers into ‘falling in line’ with the repressive policies of big business and the state,” Labog said.

Taking the cue from the President, employers’ groups recently called for a 10-year strike ban even though this is violative of a central right of workers guaranteed by the constitution and international conventions. Former dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ daughter, Ilocos Rep. Imee Marcos has filed a bill in the House claling for the strike moratorium. Major changes in the labor code – long sought by capitalist-employers – are once again being pushed with renewed vigor.  Along with other pending bills in Congress, the Omnibus Amendments to the Labor Code aim to strengthen anti-union and anti-strike provisions in the country’s labor regulations,” he said.

“If Ka Bert were alive today, he would most likely condemn the doings of the Macapagal-Arroyoa dministration and its attacks against the workers. And staunch patriot and anti-imperialist activist that he was, he also would rage against Pres. Arroyo’s shameless subservience to the Bush government’s so-called campaign against terror and the continued oppression of Iraq,” he said

“KMU and the militant labor movement in the country take pride in owning Ka Bert as their father. Generations of labor leaders and mass activists continue to work and live by the principles Ka Bert lived by,” he concluded. Bulatlat.com

Back to top

We want to know what you think of this article.