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“This is supposed to be a basic social service to the people. But the government failed to provide it to us. Now, it is the capitalists who are benefiting.”
The unprecedented hike was revealed as mostly due to Meralco’s contract with Thermo Mobile, which had bid 25 times higher than the usual rate, or the average recorded by WESM (P62 from P6 to 8 per kilowatt-hour). It was also disclosed that Meralco actually dictates and has full control over the pricing decisions of Thermo Mobile.
“Contaminated water [from the damaged nuclear power plant] goes back and forth into the Pacific Ocean – goes across to the Philippines, to the west side of America.”
For progressive unions, Aquino's 'stellar economic growth' and 'industrial peace' are rosy reports that cheer only the corporate few who benefit from it. For the working majority, the claims sounded more like a taunt because it rested on what they call as 'false claims' or deception, coupled with repression.
“If our local government permits this, it is a downright and deliberate attack to our economic right as small-scale miners. "
"The DOLE considers child labor as a mere law enforcement problem, monitoring cases of child labor, stopping some operations that employ child labor, and threatening to penalize some employers."– KMU
Dismissing the case against the accused murderers of Juvy Capion and her sons, Pops and John, "was a go-signal for military and paramilitary groups to continue killing civilians opposed to big mines and other destructive projects." – Task Force Justice for Environment Defenders
The Aquino government is "causing massive and systematic hunger in the country by implementing anti-farmer programs." – Joseph Canlas, Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson
PISTON explains that the P6 fuel discount is better than demanding for a fare hike, knowing that the riding public have been complaining about low wages and increasingly high prices of goods and services.
Aside from the much-criticized fat bonuses at a time when the funds’ sustainability was supposedly in danger, thus requiring a hike in members' contributions, it turned out that the SSS executives have each been receiving $1,859 per month just for attending two board meetings, and its CEO flies abroad every two months, first-class.
The tax holiday is estimated to benefit the more than 700,000 BPO workers, who, BIEN said in previous campaigns, are working hard to the point of contracting illnesses for lack of sleep, toilet breaks and oftentimes failing to eat their "lunch" (midnight meal).
But groups, including those in Ateneo de Davao University, said revenue-sharing “is not the main issue but rather about empowerment of communities and local leaders.”
The KMU cited the Commission on Audit’s 2012 report which states that “Slow processing and payment of death, disability and retirement claims did not meet the commitment of SSS of providing prompt, convenient and meaningful social protection service to the members and their beneficiaries.”
“While our farmers and farm workers suffer from poverty, agricultural transnational corporations increased their profits three times.” – Ibon Foundation
“Apart from being used as a tool to control Congress, the DAP may prove to even be illegal and unconstitutional.”– Kabataan Party Rep. Terry Ridon
It has been a long way since from the culture of the Katipunan to the present pork barrel system in the Philippines, a legacy of colonial US to the country to make its political protégées follow its bidding.
Read also Second Part: Participative democracy: substitute to the pork barrel system
'The impacts of magnetite mining operations in Cagayan Province are an indictment on the country’s flawed mining policies.'
Latest Philippine export data of minerals to major destinations such as Japan, China, US and Canada amounted to $1.59 billion, mostly of copper, gold and nickel.
These large foreign-controlled mining firms, in hopes of surviving the mining crisis, would intensify land grabbing of mineral-rich areas and extraction of mineral wealth. At the same time, it would cut production expenses. – Kalikasan PNE
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