The Filipino Women’s Century-Old Struggle for National Liberation

The struggle of Filipino women for national liberation turns a century this month. For more than a century, from the revolutionary contributions of the woman General Gabriela Silang against colonialism to the very first suffragist organization founded in 1905, the women’s liberation movement in the Philippines has made considerable development in terms of advancing the cause of women against feudal and colonial oppression and exploitation.

by: AVA DANLOG
Bulatlat/Vol. V, No. 5/March 6-12, 2005

For this year, militant women’s groups, led by Gabriela, the largest multi-sectoral alliance of women’s organizations in the country, launch a campaign against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her anti-national, anti-people and anti-women policies.

Historical significance

International Women’s Day falls on March 8 because of its historical significance in women activism. It was in March 8, 1957 when women workers of garment factories in New York marched to protest against low wages, 12-hour daily work schedule and the oppressive working conditions. This was prompted by the death of women and children when a garment factory caught fire because they were locked inside at night. The demonstration was violently dispersed.

It was in March 8, 1908 that marked the extensive protest of women against capitalist exploitation. On this day, 30,000 women workers marched to call for more humane working conditions and legislation against child labor and the right to suffrage of women.

March 8 was then proclaimed as International Women’s Day in 1977, when the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution mandating the observance of International Women’s Day by its member nations. But as early as 1910, international labor groups have paid tribute to women’s heroic struggles by celebrating March 8 as International Women’s Day, several decades before the UN would do so.

In the Philippines, the first feminist organization, Asociacion Feminista Filipina, was established in 1905. Although it focused largely on social issues, such as maternal and child care, prostitution and gambling, and consisted mainly of women from the upper and middle classes, its birth signaled the awakening of the Filipino women’s feminist consciousness and later paved the way for the establishment of militant and political women’s groups.

The first observance of International Women’s Day in the country was in 1971 when Makibaka (Makabayang Kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan or Patriotic Movement of Modern Women) and Katipunan (Katipunan ng Bagong Kababaihan or Association of Modern Women) mobilized women in protest of poverty.

When martial law was declared, mass demonstrations were prohibited and Makibaka went underground, becoming one of the first organizations to be a member of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). It was only in 1984 when militant March 8 commemorations once again commenced, spearheaded by Gabriela.

Advances in the women’s movement

According to Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Liza Maza, herself a former Gabriela secretary general, the fact that women are being organized and the militancy of women is being sustained, are manifestations of the movement’s development, especially since the patriarchal value system is deeply rooted in the Filipino culture.

She added, “There is now legislation on defining violence against women as a crime. So in that sense, the women’s movement, I think that is not just an achievement on legislation, but largely the achievement of the women’s movement that have lobbied and advocated for enshrining the rights of women in the law.”

According to Joms Salvador, national chairperson of GABRIELA Youth, the movement has reached a lot in terms of popularizing the cause. More women’s organizations are established. Internationally, the Philippine experience in organizing women is looked upon. Salvador adds that the diversity of women organizing in the country is a measure of how stable and strong the women’s movement is.

Women’s situation

Still, feudal and foreign oppression and exploitation of women continue. Majority of women, who are rural-based, do not enjoy the right to own land. In a study conducted by Amihan (National Federation of Peasant Women), the disparity can run as high as 10 centavos for a woman agricultural worker for every peso that a man earns.

The same trend applies to female workers who are victims of contractualization and poor working conditions, usually employed in the manufacturing and service sectors. Because of retrenchments and lax labor laws in these sectors, more and more women are forced to emigrate. This, aside from the added burden to women for their traditional roles as homemakers.

In a study conducted by Gabriela, seven out of 10 Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are female, 44 percent of whom are employed in the service sector while 33 percent is in the entertainment sector. The miserable situation of female OFWs is heightened by racial discrimination and racism.

However, the exploitation of women OFWs roots not just from the racial discrimination in foreign countries or the gender-based oppression, but also from the factors that force them to leave the country: widespread poverty and the government’s labor export policy.

The emigration of females is encouraged by the labor export policy of the Arroyo administration that contributes to the massive global sex trade and modern-day slavery of Filipino women and children, according to Ninotchka Rosca of the Purple Rose Campaign.

Under the Arroyo administration, Filipinos are exported as sex commodity to nearly 200 countries and is a major exporter of women as virtual sex slaves around the world. Almost 600,000 Filipino women are trafficked worldwide under the euphemisms “Guest Relations Officer,” “entertainer” and “cultural dancer.”

Alarmingly, incidences of violence against women and children have risen, particularly rape and sexual abuse. Ten years ago, statistics show that six women and children are raped daily. Last year the figure doubled as 12 women and children become victims of sexual abuse daily. Domestic violence remains widespread with 18 women and children becoming victims of battering daily. This number would surely rise with the current economic crisis. Studies reveal that majority of urban-based domestic violence center on money. In a separate study, more incidences of domestic violence happen during the months of December and May wherein money is needed for the holiday season and the incoming school year.

Economic crisis as the most urgent issue

Of all the issues faced by women, the most pressing would be the economic crisis. According to Maza, the crisis has specific impact on women because they are looked upon as secondary providers. Their contribution in production is valued less than that of men’s.

They don’t receive social services like health and education. And because of their traditional roles, they are burdened with stretching every peso to make both ends meet.

“As one becomes so economically disempowered, the more you become victims of violence. Especially now that poverty is so acute, more violence is present, even in the homes,” she adds.

The passage of the additional 2 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) would then certainly make it harder for women. Gabriela listed seven basic commodities whose prices will surely rise: rice, milk, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), sugar, coffee, soap and cooking oil. All these are commodities that concern mothers and housewives.

For these reasons, the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day call on militancy to oppose the anti-national, anti-people and anti-women policies of the Arroyo administration.

Struggle for national liberation, too

According to Maza, it is important to account the long years of women’s struggles and triumphs in order for society to look into the future and see what else needs to be done. It is a testament to how the women’s movement developed in the Philippines as against the feminist construct with the sole perspective of individual rights.

“I think it is high time to look at it as an overall achievement of women, to look into this undeveloped perspective that the Filipino women have really contributed a lot in our struggle for freedom and democracy and the struggle for the women’s empowerment and the recognition of women’s rights and welfare,” she adds.

The annual observation of International Women’s Day is an effective venue for the re-education of society in understanding our history to discern the historical roots of gender oppression in the country and the role of women in history, Maza also said. The main enemy of women and of the oppressed and exploited peoples is US imperialism which preserves fascism and national, religious and racial chauvinism in the country through the family, religion, state and the media. All these aim to perpetuate the degradation of women and further divide the working class and the people at large, she added.

© 2004 Bulatlat ■ Alipato Publications

Filipino Women Find No Comfort from a Woman President

Edith Gallardo sells kakanin (rice cakes) for a living. Sometimes, she would also sell pancit and boiled peanuts to earn more money. She earns an average of P100–P150 a day. For Gallardo and other impoverished Filipino women, having a woman president is no solace. She believes that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has done nothing to lift Filipino women from poverty and exploitation.

BY RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat/Vol. V, No. 5/ March 6-12, 2005

Women from different sectors of Philippine society presented their woes during a forum called Ulat Lila (Purple Report) organized by the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR), March 4.

As wives and mothers, women are always the first to bear the brunt of economic devastation. Based on the 2003 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES), three out of five Filipino families live a hand-to-mouth existence.

Inflation rate was pegged at 7.4 percent at the end of 2004, the highest in six years. Meanwhile, the real value of the peso stands at P0.53 due to increases in prices of commodities and services.

In 2004, the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) increased 12 times, with a total increase of P144.65 per 11-kg cylinder. The price of LPG increased by P80 from January 2004 to February 2005.

Water rates have also risen. Maynilad jacked up its rate by 36 percent and Manila Water by 21 percent. Electricity rates also went up. A family consuming 120 kwh to 200 kwh of electricity a month pays 34 percent higher. Those who consume 1000 kwh a month pay 28 percent more.

Gertrude Libang, executive director of the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR), said that the impending Value-Added Tax (VAT) increase would burden the consumers even more. “Since the consumer is at the end of the chain with no one to pass the VAT to, she/he ends up taking up the VAT.”

An example cited by Libang is a can of sardines. With VAT at 10 percent, a can of sardines costs P9.87. At 12 percent, the price goes up to P10.60 per can.

Women workers

Unemployment rate among women was 11.7 percent as of October 2004. Only two out of five workers are women. Women’s labor force participation rate is only 50 percent as against men’s 83 percent. Half of the women work force are therefore part of the reserved labor force.

Nanette Miranda, spokesperson of the Koalisyon Laban sa Kontraktwalisasyon (Coalition Against Contractualization) criticized the Macapagal-Arroyo government for not doing anything about the widespread contractualization of labor which, she said, affects most women workers.

Twenty-five percent of the workers in the industrial and service sectors are non-regular workers. According to the labor department, there are 651,000 non-regular workers in 2003. Forty-seven percent or 307,000 are contractuals who work in construction projects, real estate, renting and business activities. Twenty-four percent or 159,000 are casual workers in hotels and restaurants. Probationary workers account for 18 percent or 120,000 of non-regular workers. There are 67,000 apprentices/learners and seasonal workers.

Miranda revealed that women working in factories work more than eight hours a day to meet the company’s quota. She also cited the pregnancy test as an additional requirement for work.

“Mas tumitindi ang kalagayan ng mga manggagawang kababaihan sa ilalim ng babaeng presidente,” (The situation of the women workers and the workers in general has worsened under a woman president) Miranda said.

Peasant women

According to the National Statistics Office (NSO), there were 11.8 million agricultural workers and farmers as of October 2004. The average wage of women in agricultural sector, based on Bureau of Agricultural Statistics’ report, is P127.98. This amount is 15 percent less than the wage of their male counterparts.

Zen Soriano, spokesperson of the Amihan (National Federation of Peasant Women), complained they hardly feel the country’s supposed “economic growth.” “Binibili sa murang halaga ang aming ani kahit napakataas ng aming gastos. Hindi kami ang nakakapagpresyo kundi ang mga traders.” (Our products are bought at low prices. It is not us who determine the price of our products but the traders.)

Soriano also said that ordinary farmers like her do not benefit from the Gloria rice. The said hybrid rice, Soriano said, needs inputs they cannot afford to buy. “Wala namang subsidyong ibinibigay sa amin kaya walang saysay ang Gloria rice.” (We do not get any subsidy from the government. Gloria rice is senseless for the poor farmers.)

The peasant leader also said the government has failed to implement a genuine agrarian reform program. The Department of Agrarian Reform, now called Department of Land Reform (DLR), claimed 3.37 million hectares of land were distributed in 30 years. However, data from the department do not include re-claimed emancipation patents and certificate of land ownership awards (CLOA). Based on government data, 75 percent of the beneficiaries are men.

Soriano also hit Macapagal-Arroyo’s plan of allotting one to two million hectares of land for agri-business.

“Gusto nila ayusin ang Konsitusyon para paaygan ang 100% foreign ownership.” (They want to change the Constitution to allow 100 percent foreign ownership of land.)

Soriano related that some mothers leave their families to work as domestic helpers in the cities in order to augment the limited income. “Ang mga nanay hahanap ng paraan para mabuhay ang pamilya. Iiwan ang mga anak sa kamag-anak, kapitbahay. Minsan, naaabuso ang aming mga anak na babae.” (Mothers will find ways to support the family. They will leave their children to relatives, neighbors. In some cases, our daughters are subjected to abuse.)

The lifting of restrictions on rice importation, Soriano said, is tantamount of depriving them of their livelihood. “Pinapatay ni GMA ang kabuhayan natin.” (GMA is killing our livelihood sources.)

Migrant women

Connie Bragas-Regalado, chairperson of the Migrante International, said that 65 percent of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are women, mostly in the service sector. Every day, 3,000 Filipinos leave the country to work abroad.

Fifteen percent of the Filipino families are dependent on OFW remittances. The World Bank estimates OFWs remit USD 8 billion annually.

Regalado herself worked as a domestic helper in Hong Kong for 13 years. She said the Hong Kong government has persistently pushed for their wage cut. “We work for 12-16 hours a day,” she said, usually receiving a monthly salary of P18,000. Of this, they send home P15,000.

Regalado also revealed that after 9/11, there has been an intensified crackdown on illegal immigrants in many countries. Many Filipinos have been detained. This, she said, have resulted in massive deportation. However, the Philippine government has only promised to provide free passports and could not provide job opportunities for the returning OFWs.

Urban poor

Edith Gallardo of the Samahan ng Maralitang Kababaihang Nagkakaisa (Samakana or Organization of United Urban Poor Women)-Tatalon Chapter also shares Regalado’s sentiments. Gallardo sells kakanin (rice cakes) for a living. Sometimes, she would also sell pancit and boiled peanuts. She earns P100–P150 a day.

Gallardo said they usually have sardinas and noodles for meal. Like any other family living in an urban poor community, they are constantly threatened of demolition.

Based on the estimates by the National Housing Authority, there are 1.41 million informal settlers in the country. Fifty-two percent of this can be found in the National Capital Region.

The budget of the government for housing is a measly P2.74 billion in 2004, accounting for only 0.30 percent of the national budget. The Macapagal-Arroyo government promised to build 1.2 million houses for the poor. In her three-year term, the government only accomplished 73.6 percent of its target or 882,823 units. The figure is only 25 percent of the total house units needed by the urban poor.

Gallardo also related the death of her sick mother. “Dinala ko siya sa public hospital, hiningan ako ng P1,000 pandeposito. Saan ko po kukunin iyon? Namatay siya na hindi nagagamot.” (I took her to a public hospital. I was asked to deposit P1,000. Where would I get that? My mother died without receiving any treatment.)

Gallardo vowed, “Pag nakita ko si Gloria, hindi ko siya patatawarin, siya ang pumatay sa aking nanay.” (When I see Gloria [Macapagal-Arroyo], I will not forgive her. She was the one who killed my mother.)

Violence against women

The violence against women continues. In 2004, there were 2,005 cases of sexual abuse reported to the Philippine National Police (PNP). Documented cases of rape reached 1,228. Meanwhile, cases of sex trafficking and white slavery increased four times from 2003 to 2004.

Figures from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on the other hand are higher. Based on its records, there were 11,526 cases of violence against women and children in 2004. Ninety percent of the cases filed before the DSWD were cases of sexual abuse against girls. Of the 3,346 rape cases, 31 percent were cases of incest.

Facing the Challenges

Gertrude Libang, executive director of the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR), said, “The challenge for women now is how to course the tide in their favor. Each issue indicates a formidable task of reckoning and action, and clearly, there are a lot of things to be done. Women should recognize that they play a decisive role in the transformation of the Philippine society.”

She ends, “The feudal view has portrayed women as the hand that rocks the cradle. But in this era and in this trying moment in our country, women is also the same hand that wields half of the power of the people. President Macapagal-Arroyo should realize this.”

© 2004 Bulatlat ■ Alipato Publications

Uncovering the Forbidden Truth

Review of The Forbidden Book by Abe Ignacio, Enrique de la Cruz, Jorge Emmanuel, and Helen Toribio (T’boli Publishing and Distributor, U.S.)172 pages
Philippine selling price: P1,400.00

The relevance of The Forbidden Book lies not only in the wealth of historical information and insights that it provides. It comes at a time when the U.S. is engaged in another imperialist war, this time in Iraq. Leafing through the book, one finds himself or herself confronted by similarities between the Philippine-American War and the Iraq War.

BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
Vol. V, No. 3, February 20-26, 2005

In his famous article, “The Miseducation of the Filipino,” the late historian and social critic Renato Constantino wrote about the Philippine-American War of 1899-1914 being hidden from the textbooks that we in the Philippines are made to read in school.

The American forces sent to the Philippines in the late 19th century were here to liberate the country from the Spanish colonizers, these books say, and the Filipinos are depicted as having willingly accepted American rule which had the purpose of teaching Filipinos the art of self-government. Buried in the official histories is the fact that the U.S. waged a 15-year war against Filipino freedom fighters who had just won their freedom from Spain with negligible “help” from American troops – as confirmed by British lawyer Richard Brinsley Sheridan who was working in the Philippines when the war broke out.

Recent papers show that nearly 1.5 million Filipinos died in the war against U.S. colonial occupation.
The miseducation about the Philippine-American War, however, started much earlier in the United States. This miseducation of the American people about the Philippine-American War is the subject of The Forbidden Book by Filipino-American scholars Abe Ignacio, Enrique de la Cruz, Jorge Emmanuel, and the late Helen Toribio – launched in the Philippines at the Popular Bookstore Feb. 5, a day after the war’s 106th anniversary.
The book takes its title from a 1900 cartoon showing then U.S. President William McKinley preventing Uncle Sam from reading “The Forbidden Book” on “the true history of the war in the Philippines.”

On Feb. 4, 1899, the U.S. engaged the Philippines in a war on the pretext that Filipino soldiers had fired at American troops at the San Juan Bridge. It was actually the other way around: an American soldier named Willie Grayson had fired shots at four Filipinos crossing the bridge.

“Halto!”

The late historian Teodoro Agoncillo, in his classic History of the Filipino People, recounted the incident, quoting Grayson himself thus: “I yelled ‘Halt!’...the man moved. I challenged with another ‘Halt!’ Then he immediately shouted ‘Halto!’ to me. Well I thought the best thing to do was to shoot him.”

The Forbidden Book collects political cartoons in the period of the Philippine-American War which appeared in various American newspapers and magazines. Of these there are 88 colored cartoons and 133 black-and-white cartoons.

In their selection of the cartoons, the authors present both sides of the Philippine-American War: the “pros” and the “antis.” It is clear from the way they explain the book, however, where they stand on the issue.

The authors speak of an “economic transformation” in the U.S. characterizing the period between the end of the U.S. Civil War in 1865 and the beginning of the Philippine-American War in 1899.

“One important consequence of the economic transformation was the need for overseas markets to sell American manufactured goods,” the authors write. “Concerned that the domestic market area was not enough to absorb the products of industry and agriculture, powerful interests lobbied to keep overseas markets open to U.S. business.”

They didn’t make that up. They merely explain the words uttered in 1897 by leading capitalist expansion advocate Sen. Albert Beveridge: “American factories are making more than the American people can use; American soil is producing more than they can consume. Fate has written our policy for us; the trade of the world must and shall be ours.”

By highlighting that point, the authors set the tone for the reading of the book, thereby giving the reader pointers on how to make sense of those cartoons that justify the occupation of the Philippines based on McKinley’s “Manifest Destiny” slogan, based on the claim of “(Taking) up the White Man’s burden--/...(Among) new-caught, sullen peoples,/Half-devil and half-child,” to paraphrase British pro-imperialist poet Rudyard Kipling.

Negroes as savages

The cartoons were illustrated at a time when the Negroes were looked upon by the white Americans as savages, if not beasts, and there are many cartoons included in the book which depict the Filipinos as African tribal babies. One of the cartoons even compares the killing of Filipinos to “killing niggers.”
However, there are cartoons which unveil the lies behind the “Manifest Destiny” slogan, portraying the war as one that is in the interest of the U.S. capitalist establishment but not of the American people and certainly not of the Filipino people.

The relevance of The Forbidden Book lies not only in the wealth of historical information and insights that it provides.

It comes at a time when the U.S. is engaged in another imperialist war, this time in Iraq, which is being justified along the same messianic claims – a war supposedly intending to dismantle tyranny in Iraq, only to replace Saddam Hussein’s tyranny with the tyranny of a clique of leaders ready to accommodate U.S. economic interests in Iraq’s rich resources. Leafing through the book, one finds himself or herself confronted by similarities between the Philippine-American War and the Iraq War.

It is very good that being based in the U.S. did not take the Filipino out of the book’s authors. In coming out with this book, the authors secure for themselves a place in history with other Filipino expatriate intellectuals who continued or have continued to be Filipino – and fight for the Filipino – even “in the belly of the beast,” like Carlos Bulosan and Dr. E. San Juan, Jr.

Author De la Cruz, a former University of the Philippines professor, is now with the California State University’s Asian American Studies. A former professor himself, Emmanuel is with Asia for Asian Studies in California while Toribio taught at San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies. The book is available in the Philippines at Popular Bookstore along Tomas Morato Street (near the corner of Timog Avenue), Quezon City; or contact Ms. Joy Soriano at (63-2)4557738. Bulatlat

© 2004 Bulatlat ■ Alipato Publications

P8,000 Daily for a PMA Cadet; a Paltry P43 for the State Scholar

Unlike all other state universities and colleges (SCUs), the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) remains the learning institution most favored by government. While the budget of the SCUs has been slashed anew several-fold this year, that of the PMA has been increased.

By Ronalyn Olea
Bulatlat
Vol. V, No. 3, February 20-26, 2005

Compared to all other state universities and colleges (SCUs), the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) remains the learning institution most favored by government. Along with the Department of Education (DepEd), the SCUs have their new budgets slashed several-fold.

The PMA, as expected, has no budget cut; its allocation has in fact been increased – from P557.92 million last year to P568.17 million this year.

In the proposed budget, the PMA cadet is subsidized with P12 million for a four-year course or roughly P8,219 a day; his counterpart at the state Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) has a measly P43 a day or only 0.52 percent of the PMA cadet’s daily subsidy.

The PMA produces the country’s military elite but its professional hierarchy in the armed forces has been wracked by graft scandals, mutinous tendencies and human rights violations. This has not deterred the current presidency – and its predecessors – from showering both the military and national police with fat salary increases and other high budget allocations, however.

Speaking at a rally of about 1,000 students in Mendiola, Manila on Feb. 14, Rizza Ramirez, national president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP), asked: “Is this government more interested in producing corrupt military officials than professionals and teachers much needed by the country? While this government spends huge amounts of money in launching its war in Mindanao, the Filipino students suffer from dilapidated facilities, tuition and miscellaneous fee hikes and low quality of education.”

The Valentine’s Day rally, joined by students from SCUs and public high schools, called President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a “heartless mother.” The state scholars and other rallyers lambasted the Macapagal-Arroyo government for cutting education expenditures mercilessly in favor of debt servicing and military expenditures.

In the proposed national budget for this year, 33.6 percent goes to interest payments amounting to P301.69 billion, Ramirez said. The combined allocation for debt servicing, including the payment for the principal debt, accounts for more than 70 percent of the national budget. The country has now incurred a $60 billion foreign debt.

Moreover, P1.2 billion will be allotted for intelligence funds this year. The Office of the President will get P650 million. The intelligence fund earmarked for the Philippine National Police (PNP) is P270 million; Department of National Defense (DND), P111.5 million; and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), P31.24 million.

The budget of the DND this year amounts to P43.6 billion. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will get P46.04 billion.

Anti-VAT, too

Ramirez, a college senior from the University of the Philippines (UP), also opposed the imposition of a hike on the Value-Added Tax (VAT) saying taxes do not translate to social services such as education, health and housing.

“Isn’t it appalling for Ms. Macapagal-Arroyo to tax anew the poor majority so as not to default on debt payments? The Filipino youth and the people in general do not get their fair share in the nation’s wealth. The national budget for this year reveals so much about her real priorities,” the NUSP president said.

Overall, education spending remains a pittance compared to debt servicing and military expenditures. For the first time, the Department of Education (DepEd) will suffer a budget slash of P4.6 billion from last year’s allocation. The reduction is expected to even aggravate the public education crisis in terms of shortages in classrooms, desks, textbooks and teachers.

SCUs will have to do with P950 million less than the previous allocation. The UP budget will bear the biggest slash amounting to P355.64 million. Because of the reduced subsidies, SCUs are even more compelled to increase tuition and other fees.

In UP, tuition increases have been imposed even under the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP). While in 1989, tuition was pegged at P17 per unit today it stands at P300 per unit. In 2001, tuition in the UP graduate school increased from P300 per unit to P500-P700 per unit. In the state university’s five units, laboratory fees have also been jacked up. From the previous P0.00 to P50, these fees were increased to P500 to P600.

Processing fees

Meanwhile, in PUP processing fees were hiked by 67 to 100 percent. The PUP administration also plans to increase tuition from P12 per unit to P88 per unit. The Philippine Normal University (PNU) also increased its tuition by 400 percent in 2003.

Regional state universities also suffer tuition and other fee increases. In Central Luzon State University (CLSU), for example, tuition and miscellaneous fees were hiked by 298 percent. At the Aklan Polytechnic Institute, tuition will increase by 400 percent in the next four years. The Ramon Magsaysay Technological University (RMTU) in Zambales raised its tuition from P80 to P150 per unit last year. A P200 development fee is also collected from the students.

The Mindanao State University in General Santos City will raise its tuition from P50 to P150 per unit. The University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Samar will also implement a tuition hike, from P40 per unit to P150 per unit.

The budgets cuts have reportedly driven thousands of state scholars from registering at the SCUs anymore because of higher tuition. They either join the increasing army of college dropouts or, particularly those whose families can afford it, enroll for two-year technical or vocational courses in quest of a job abroad.

Meanwhile, about 10,000 students from the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) in Manila walked out of their classes on Feb. 14. Wearing black, the students opposed the proposal to change the name of the university to Malayan Institute. MIT, a top engineering school, is owned by the Yuchengco Group of Companies. The Yuchengcos own the Malayan Insurance and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, among others. The school is listed among the top 1,000 corporations in 2003 with P28.7-million profit. Bulatlat

© 2004 Bulatlat ■ Alipato Publications

NO to VAT!Yes to P3,000 Across-the-Board Salary Increase

Statement of the All UP Workers Union Manila for the Nationwide Protest Action on February 16, 2005 Against the Proposed Law to Increase the Value Addded Tax from the present 10% to 12%

Simula pa noong 1998 hanggang sa kasalukuyan, ipinaglalaban na natin ang dagdag na sweldong P3,000 kada buwan para sa ating mga manggagawang pangkalusugan at kawani ng pamahalaan ngunit nananatiling bingi ang pamahalaan. Sa halip na dagdag sahod ang asikasuhin ay dagdag na gastusin na naman ng mamamayan ang inatupag na maaprubahan sa mababang kapulungan at ngayon ay minamadali ang deliberasyon sa Senado. Ito ang Value Added Tax o VAT.

Mula sa 10% VAT ay gagawin itong 12%, o 20% na pagtaass sa matagal nang pasakit sa atin na VAT. Grabe na itong ginagawa sa atin ng pamahalaan, imbes na pakinggan ang hinaing ng mga karaniwang kawani na taon-taon, ay siyang pinakamalaking nagbibigay ng buwis sa bayan ay itong dagdag na VAT pa ang inatupag na isang imposisyon ng International Monetary Fund (IMF). Ito ay upang makasiguro ang IMF na may tiyak na badyet ang Pilipinas para sa pambayad ng prinsipal at sa lumolobong interes sa mga utang na ginarantiyahan ng gubyerno. Samakatuwid, sa halip na magdagdag ng badyet para sa serbisyong panlipunan tulad ng pangkalusugan at taasan ang sahod ng mismong mga kawani nito; mas prayoridad ng gobyerno na magbayad sa mga utang na karamihan ay di napakinabangan ng mamamayan kung ‘di ng mga malalaking negosyante at sa malawakang korupsyon na nagsisimula sa Malakanyang.

Sa simula’t simula pa man ay tinututulan na natin ang value added tax dahil sa isa itong klase ng regressive na sistema ng pagbubuwis. Ang ibig sabihin ay pareho ang ibinabayad na buwis ng mayaman at mahirap o ng malaki ang kita at maliit o walang kinikita. Damang-dama natin ang bigat ng epekto ng naunang 10% VAT sa tuwing magbabayad tayo ng konsumo at serbisyo, at maging sa mga pangunahing bilihin. Ngayon ay nais pang dagdagan.

Sinasabi ng pamahalaan na tanging mga “mayayaman” lamang daw ang maaapektuhan nito, at ang makokolekta naman daw sa dagdag na buwis na ito ay ibabalik sa pamamagitan ng dagdag na serbisyong panlipunan; ang sagot naman natin “hindi tayo isinilang lang kahapon para lolokohin na naman nila.” Tanging sa pagkakaisa at sa malawakang pagkilos ng iba’t ibang sektor ng ating lipunan, mapipigilan at maibabasura, hindi lamang ang panukalang batas na ito kundi maging ang iba pang mga patakaran ng pamahalaan na direktang nagpapahirap sa lugmok nang kalagayan ng malawak na bilang ng mamamayan.

Kaya’t mga ka-manggagawang pangkalusugan, sama-sama tayong lumahok sa Pambansang Koordinadong Kilos Protesta Laban Sa VAT (kasabay ng malawakang Prayer Rally) ngayong Miyerkules, Pebrero 16, 2005, 1:00 ng hapon, Senate, GSIS Bldg, Roxas Blvd, Pasay.

Magkita-kita tayo sa ika-11:00 ng umaga sa PGH Flagpole Area.

Ibasura ang VAT! P3000 across the board monthly salary increase ang dapat!
BADYET SA SERBISYONG PANGKALUSUGAN, DAGDAGAN ‘WAG BAWASAN!

All UP Workers Union Manila
Ika-15 ng Pebrero 2005

GMA: OO NANG OO SA MGA DAYUHAN! TUTULAN ANG PAGTAAS NG VAT!

Dagdag na P3,000 across-the-board para sa mga kawani, guro at REPS!
Sapat na badyet para sa UP, PGH at sa sektor ng edukasyon at kalusugan!
Ilipat ang pambayad-utang sa edukasyon at serbisyong pangkalusugan!

Mula 2001 pa ang kahilingan natin para sa dagdag na sahod para sa mga kawani, guro, REPS at iba pang kawani ng pamahalaan. Hanggang ngayon wala pa ring dagdag na sahod para sa atin.

Taon-taon, napapako o nababawasan ang badyet para sa edukasyon at kalusugan, kabilang na ang badyet ng Unibersidad ng Pilipinas na sa taong ito ay nakaambang bawasan ng P357 milyon, ang pinakamalaking pagbabawas sa ating badyet sa ating kasaysayan. Samantala ang budget ng PGH at napako na lamang sa P1 Bilyon simula pa ng 1993.

Kahapon, nang madaling araw, walang pagdadalawang isip na ipinasa ng Mababang Kapulungan ng Kongreso na dominado ng mga kasabwat ni Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ang HB 3555 na nagdadagdag ng 2% sa Value Added Tax o kabuuang 20% na pagtaas mula sa dating 10% tungo sa 12%. Ang pagtaas ng VAT ay tugon ng administrasyong Macapagal-Arroyo sa rekomendasyon ng Post-Program Monitoring Team ng International Monetary Fund na narito noong Hunyo 25-Hulyo 8, 2004, na taasan ang Value Added Tax.

Totoong exempted sa VAT ang ilang bilihin tulad ng mga produktong agrikultural (gulay,isda) at ilang serbisyo, pero saklaw nito ang maraming produkto at serbisyo. Mararagdagan ang buwis sa pagkaing tulad ng asukal, kape, pan de sal, mantika, sardines, noodles), damit, sapatos, gamot, bayad sa telepono, construction materials, semento at marami pang ibang pangangailangan. Kung gayon, dagdag na pasanin ang pagtaas ng VAT sa mamamayan laluna sa mahihirap at mga fixed salary employees tulad nating mga kawani, guro at REPS ng UP.

Dagdag na namang patotoo ang pagtutulak sa pagtataas ng VAT ng administrasyong Macapagal-Arroyo habang bingi ito sa kahilingan natin sa pagtaas ng ating sahod at dagdag na badyet sa edukasyon at iba pang serbisyong pampubliko, na pinauuna nito ang interes ng mga dayuhan! Tandaan natin na sa P907 B badyet para sa 2005 na nakatakdang aprubahan ng Senado ngayong Pebrero, P301.6 bilyon o 1/3 ng kabuuang badyet ang nakatalaga para sa pagbayad sa interes sa utang sa dayuhan. Kapag isama ang P344.1 bilyon na otomatikong nakatalaga sa bayad sa prinsipal sa utang, P645.7 bilyon ang nakatalaga para sa mga dayuhang bangko para sa 2005. Samantala, P111 bilyon lamang ang nakatalaga para sa batayang edukasyon at P16.8 bilyon para sa mga state universities and colleges at P10.3 bilyon lamang para sa kalusugan.

Kaya malinaw na ang dagdag na pasanin sa buwis na kakarguhin ng mamamayan ay pangunahing pupunta sa pambayad utang, hindi para sa kagalingan ng mamamayan.

Sama-sama nating tutulan ang dagdag sa VAT at pagpaprayoridad sa pambayad utang ng pamahalaang Macapagal Arroyo.

Ipaglaban natin ang pagtaas sa ating sahod at ang dagdag na badyet sa edukasyon at serbisyong pangkalusugan.


ALL-UP WORKERS UNION
ALL-UP ACADEMIC EMPLOYEES UNION
Enero 28, 2005

Get Real : A Perfect Place to Start Anti-Graft Drive

By: Solita Collas- Monsod
Inquirer News Service Editor's

Note: Published on page A12 of the January 8, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE CHAIRMAN of the Board of Trustees of the corporation gets a P100,000 monthly "allowance." The Treasurer of the Board and the Chairman of the Management Committee each get P70,000 a month, also in "allowances." These, aside from their per diems of P20,000 per board meeting, and all fixed by various resolutions of the board.

Must be a pretty profitable, private corporation, yes? Well, we're talking about the APO Production Unit Inc., which does printing for government offices, particularly security printing. But whether APO is a private corporation or a government-owned or -controlled one depends on whom you are asking, and for what purpose.

Gerry Sicat, one of the original incorporators of APO (it used to be called APO-Neda) says that it is a government instrumentality. So does the Department of Justice in an opinion (No. 52, S.1975) rendered by the late Catalino "Mac" Macaraig when he was acting justice secretary. So does the1997 Manual of Procurement of the Commission on Audit ("the APO is not aprivate entity but a government instrumentality").

The chairman of the board of trustees was the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Director General for many years, until Neda asked that APO be either attached to another agency or privatized. Since then, the chairman and members of the board have been chosen by the President of the Philippines (not a direct appointment but expressed in an "It is my desire..." letter that is carried out).

On the other hand, when he was the Ombudsman, Aniano Desierto dismissed a case brought against some APO officials by the labor union on grounds thatthe Ombudsman had no authority to rule since APO was a private entity. He apparently changed his mind later and considered it a government instrumentality, but I'm not clear on this.

More recently, I have been given to understand that the Privatization Management Office assumes that it is a private corporation that was taken over by government (based on the fact that it was under the AssetPrivatization Trust, or APT) because it was unable to pay its debts to the Philippine National Bank. Which brings us to the second issue. Is APO so profitable that it can afford such largesse to its board of trustees? And there, the answer is unambiguous. It has been losing heavily (although its labor union says it would be profiting, if it were run properly instead of being treated as a milking cow).

I asked Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin what she knew about APO, and she told me that: the latest APO financial statements she saw showed heavy losses and an industry study shows that APO is one of the highest-cost printing enterprises. Not to make too fine a point about it, APO is in deep s__t financially. And this has been going on for a long time. It borrowed heavily to buy new machines and equipment (importing them tax free, as a government entity), and as early as 1987, was already deep in arrears, and was never able to get out of it, in spite of the heavy demand for its services. By the time it was transferred to the APT in 1996, its accumulated unpaid loan account amountedto P210.896 million.

Why has it not been able to turn itself around?

An example, taken from the findings of a Commission on Audit (COA) special audit, makes the answer obvious (one has to read all the COA special audit reports to fully appreciate the extent of mismanagement): checks amounting to P16.6 million were issued to two non-employees who were allegedly close relatives of the APO internal auditor as payment for their "fair incentive" commissions for 1996 to 1998. That's a lot of money.

However, the commissions were paid for sales to government agencies (e.g.,Philippine Postal Corp., Bureau of Internal Revenue, National Statistics Office, Department of Trade and Industry), which are really captive markets. No special effort is required to get these orders, particularly because the National Printing Office doesn't have comparable equipment. But guess what? The board of trustees at the time apparently allowed commissions to be paid anyway.

There were additional complications. It seems these two relatives who earned the P16.6 million over a three-year period were full-time employees in a private company and had separately applied for and received from the Social Security System salary loans for P9,000, duly deposited in their savings accounts, during the period when they were supposedly earning all those millions. Neither of their bank accounts showed any deposits of the checks they supposedly received as commissions.

Pretty damning evidence, if you ask me. Yet, the internal auditor involved still holds the same position up to now. As a matter of fact, all but one ofthe seven APO officials charged long ago with irregularities are still very much in power and holding the most crucial positions: general manager, accounting, auditing, sales.

Just last year, the general manager was again the subject of the same kind of complaint by the labor union, a complaint which, it seems, was dismissed by the Board of Trustees, even as some members of the board were not furnished a copy of the reply of the general manager.

Is it any wonder that the company is in a deep financial mess?

Yet in spite of this, the Board of Trustees gives itself allowances that would make a private corporation envious.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has called for "urgent change." She has also pledged to "take executive action to break the culture of corruption. " Well, APO is a perfect place for her to start.