BY JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 14, May 11-17, 2008 The P20 salary increase within Metro Manila is not sufficient for an average Filipino family, Bong Labog, chairperson of the labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), said after the Regional Wage Board (RWB) announced the wage increase yesterday. Labog said they are…
Janess Ann J. Ellao
Transport Group Belittles Proposed Fuel Subsidy
BY JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat Posted 8:54 p.m., May 14, 2008 The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (PISTON) belittled the government’s proposal to extend a P2.00/liter fuel subsidy to all public utility vehicleoperators after the Land Transportation and Franchise Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said that the local petroleum dealers will shoulder…
Gov’t Should Buy Petron Shares, Piston Says
BY JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat Posted 8:42 p.m., May 14, 2008 The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) is calling on the Senate and the House of Representatives to investigate the government’s decision to sell the 40 percent share of Petron to Ashmore Group instead of buying share that will…
Piston Stages Transport Strike vs Oil Price Hikes
BY JANESS ANN J. ELLAO Bulatlat Posted 6:00 p.m., May 12, 2008 The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operator Nationwide (Piston) spearheaded a nationwide transport strike today to demand the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law and the cancellation of the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on oil amid continuing oil price hikes. Piston…
Is the Arroyo Government Doing Enough?
The Arroyo government is saying that it could not be blamed for the price spikes because the problem is international in nature. That is only half the truth. BY BENJIE OLIVEROS ANALYSIS Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 14, May 11-17, 2008 The Filipino people have barely been able to breathe after the shock of the P1…
Nouveau Riche at Pagpapangalan sa Condos
Ang ipinapangako ng nouveau riche na kultura ay hindi aktwal na pag-angat kundi ang akses lamang sa simulacrum ng modernong mundo. Hindi nga ba’t ang unit sa kondo ay isang simulacrum na rin—walang permanenteng lupang kasama, titulo at karapatan lamang sa aktwal na unit na binili, na sa pagtanda ng building ay pagyao na rin…
The Corruptionary Will Make You Laugh Till It Hurts
If corruption is the enemy, then how do we fight it? For the guys at the CenPEG or Center for People Empowerment in Governance, the first step is to know your enemy. And to arm us with this knowledge, they published the “Corruptionary,” a 207-page volume of terms that all refer to the many interesting…
Youth Group Slams ISAFP Harassment of PCU Student Leader
The TANGGULAN Youth Network of Civil Liberties and Human Rights condemned what it described as the “continuous harassment” experienced by Glaiza T. Dimapilis, 19, incoming student government president at the Philippine Christian University (PCU), from elements of the government’s military intelligence agency. BY BULATLAT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Vol. VIII, No. 14, May 11-17, 2008 The…
‘We Are Workers, Not Criminals’
BY DAVID BACON T r u t h o u t | Perspective ALTERNATIVE READER Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 14, May 11-17, 2008 In the big immigrant marches that swept the country on May Day in 2006 and 2007, one sign said it all: “We are Workers, not Criminals!” Often it was held…
Six out of Ten Filipinos Want Oil Deregulation Law Repealed
In the wake of weekly oil price hikes and skyrocketing pump prices, six out of ten Filipinos said they favored the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, according to the latest survey conducted by independent think-tank IBON Foundation. BY IBON FOUNDATION Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 14, May 11-17, 2008 In the wake of…
The Gut Issue
It is all too clear that in “taking on” Meralco, Mrs. Arroyo merely seeks to deflect the people’s righteous anger over high electricity prices while maneuvering to position her own cronies and subalterns to gain a stronger foothold in the power industry. BY CAROL PAGADUAN-ARAULLO Streetwise / Business World Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No.…