Labor party senatorial bets push for larger representation of labor in Senate
Published Mar 3, 2019 06:25 pm
By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
Several senatorial candidates on Sunday said they will be pushing for larger representation of the labor sector in the Senate to address long-standing issues and concerns, specifically contractualization.
(L-R) Shariff Albani, Gerald Arcega, Marcelino Arias, Balde Baldevarona, Jesus Caceres, Melchor Chavez during the Harapan 2019 senatorial debate at ABS-CBN on Sunday, March 3, 2019. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Labor Party Philippines candidates Shariff Albani, Gerald Arcega, Marcelino Arias, Melchor Chavez, Jose Sonny Matula, and Luther Meniano were present during the third leg of the “Harapan 2019: The ABS-CBN Senatorial Town Hall Debate” held on Sunday.
Independent candidates Jesus Caceres, Charlie Gaddi, Emily Mallillin, and Allan Montaño also attended the debate alongside Filipino Family Party bet Jonathan Baldevarona.
Matula, a labor lawyer, said workers currently have no representation in the Senate.
If elected, Matula said he will push for regular jobs and an end to the practice of contractualization among Filipino workers.
He added that a national wage system should be in place to entice workers to find jobs in the provinces.
Matula also called for the strengthening of social security and protection of labor unions.
For Meniano, he is pushing for the end of contractualization, poverty and corruption.
“We should push for the law of tranquility, law of territory and law of transparency,” he said.
Meniano pointed out the millions of underemployed and unemployed Filipinos. He also cited that 39 percent of registered voters are youth and should be given equal opportunities, specifically livelihood, sports and education.
“It’s time for labor to win,” Montaño, also a labor lawyer, said. “It is time to create decent jobs.”Strengthen agriculture, lower prices of basic goods, empower overseas Filipino workers (OFW) by increasing OFW investment fund, regularization of workers, nationalize minimum wage, and creation of unemployment insurance for the jobless.
Albani, who hails from Mindanao, said that, of the 24 incumbent senators, 21 came from Luzon, three in Visayas, but none from Mindanao. “We have no voice in the Senate.”
Of the country’s national income, 65 percent came from Mindanao and 35 percent from Luzon and Visayas, he cited.
“Without Mindanao, the Philippines cannot stand alone.”
Problems of morality, child abuse, corruption, terrorism, and killings are rooted from poverty and need to be addressed, according to Albani.
Poverty, he said, was caused by the long-standing dispute of Muslim-Christians and natives in Mindanao.
For Arcega, he believed that the root cause of poverty was corruption. He added he was in favor of imposing the death penalty in punishing corrupt officials.
Meanwhile, Arias, a lawyer and pastor, said that the first thing he would do if elected senator will be to push for Philippine ownership of the West Philippine Sea.
“We should unite the capitalists and workers to increase the number of middle class in the country through profit sharing,” he added.
Meanwhile, Baldevarona said the main issue that he will address will be how to provide food for every Filipino family. For him, territorial dispute is not a priority issue.
“Bayanihan” federalism will be the banner program of Caceres should he be voted as senator. “We have to give the power back to the people.”
For Chavez, who is the president of the Labor Party, he urged voters to support the candidates under the political party who will champion the causes of workers, elderly and indigenous peoples.
Meanwhile, Gaddi said he joined a political party that mainly pushes for federalism because “I believe that a change in the present form of government will lead to a change in the current status of the country.”
Mallillin, on the other hand, urged votes to “leave a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren and give them a better future.” #MatalinongBoto2019
(L-R) Shariff Albani, Gerald Arcega, Marcelino Arias, Balde Baldevarona, Jesus Caceres, Melchor Chavez during the Harapan 2019 senatorial debate at ABS-CBN on Sunday, March 3, 2019. (JANSEN ROMERO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Labor Party Philippines candidates Shariff Albani, Gerald Arcega, Marcelino Arias, Melchor Chavez, Jose Sonny Matula, and Luther Meniano were present during the third leg of the “Harapan 2019: The ABS-CBN Senatorial Town Hall Debate” held on Sunday.
Independent candidates Jesus Caceres, Charlie Gaddi, Emily Mallillin, and Allan Montaño also attended the debate alongside Filipino Family Party bet Jonathan Baldevarona.
Matula, a labor lawyer, said workers currently have no representation in the Senate.
If elected, Matula said he will push for regular jobs and an end to the practice of contractualization among Filipino workers.
He added that a national wage system should be in place to entice workers to find jobs in the provinces.
Matula also called for the strengthening of social security and protection of labor unions.
For Meniano, he is pushing for the end of contractualization, poverty and corruption.
“We should push for the law of tranquility, law of territory and law of transparency,” he said.
Meniano pointed out the millions of underemployed and unemployed Filipinos. He also cited that 39 percent of registered voters are youth and should be given equal opportunities, specifically livelihood, sports and education.
“It’s time for labor to win,” Montaño, also a labor lawyer, said. “It is time to create decent jobs.”Strengthen agriculture, lower prices of basic goods, empower overseas Filipino workers (OFW) by increasing OFW investment fund, regularization of workers, nationalize minimum wage, and creation of unemployment insurance for the jobless.
Albani, who hails from Mindanao, said that, of the 24 incumbent senators, 21 came from Luzon, three in Visayas, but none from Mindanao. “We have no voice in the Senate.”
Of the country’s national income, 65 percent came from Mindanao and 35 percent from Luzon and Visayas, he cited.
“Without Mindanao, the Philippines cannot stand alone.”
Problems of morality, child abuse, corruption, terrorism, and killings are rooted from poverty and need to be addressed, according to Albani.
Poverty, he said, was caused by the long-standing dispute of Muslim-Christians and natives in Mindanao.
For Arcega, he believed that the root cause of poverty was corruption. He added he was in favor of imposing the death penalty in punishing corrupt officials.
Meanwhile, Arias, a lawyer and pastor, said that the first thing he would do if elected senator will be to push for Philippine ownership of the West Philippine Sea.
“We should unite the capitalists and workers to increase the number of middle class in the country through profit sharing,” he added.
Meanwhile, Baldevarona said the main issue that he will address will be how to provide food for every Filipino family. For him, territorial dispute is not a priority issue.
“Bayanihan” federalism will be the banner program of Caceres should he be voted as senator. “We have to give the power back to the people.”
For Chavez, who is the president of the Labor Party, he urged voters to support the candidates under the political party who will champion the causes of workers, elderly and indigenous peoples.
Meanwhile, Gaddi said he joined a political party that mainly pushes for federalism because “I believe that a change in the present form of government will lead to a change in the current status of the country.”
Mallillin, on the other hand, urged votes to “leave a lasting legacy for our children and grandchildren and give them a better future.” #MatalinongBoto2019