All U.P. Workers Union Na Sa Oktubre 24, 2007

Mahalaga na sa pagboto natin sa ika-24 ng Oktubre 2007 para piliin ang bukod-tanging Unyon na maging kinatawan ng mga kawani ay maibigay ang pinakamataas na mayoriya upang mas malakas na maisulong sa Administrasyon ang mas makabuluhang bagong Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) - na magtatakda sa marami nating mga karapatan at benepisyo bilang kawani ng UP at ng PGH, sa susunod na limang taon.

Sa nakaraang anim na taon mula ng madeklara ang All U.P. Workers Union (ika-8 ng Agosto 2001) bilang bukod tanging kinatawan ng mga kawani, pinatunayan na ang mga maari nating magagawa batay sa sama-samang pagkilos.

Mga Nagawa

Ang pagkilala ng UP sa karapatan nating magwelga ayon sa batas bilang pangunahing batayang prinsipyo ng CNA (2002-2007), at ng ating pakikipagtalastasan sa Administrasyon ay wala ng makakahigit pa. Ito ay sa harap ng sinimulang dating CNA ng ONAPUP na isinuko ang karapatang magwelga o manguna ng anumang pagkilos o protesta sa mga polisiya o programa ng Administrasyon kapalit sa pagkilala sa kanila bilang bukod tanging kinatawan ng mga kawani mula Nobyembre 1994 hanggang Disyembre 2000.

Mula sa batayang karapatan na ito, mula sa wala ay napagtagumpayan natin ang magkaroon ng tig-dadalawang sako ng rice subsidy taon-taon. Nagawa ring maging regular na tig-P10,000 kada taon ang ating year-end incentive, at mula noong 2005 ay ibinibigay ito ng tig-P5,000 (Agosto at Disyembre) ayon na rin sa kahilingan ng Unyon. Nandidiyan rin ang karagdagang 3 araw na special privilege leave (SPL) at sickness leave at ang P1,000 Christmas Grocery Allowance kada taon.

Dito sa atin sa UP Manila at PGH, nakumbinsi natin ang Administrasyon na maresolba na ang maraming nakabinbing kasong administratibo, marami nito ay mahigit sampung (10) taon nang “pending.” Ito ay umabot noong 2003 sa halos 600 mga kaso. Sa ngayon ito ay wala pang isandaan. Malaking tulong rito ang pagkumbinsi natin sa Office of Legal Services ng UP System na bigyang pansin ang mga maling prosesong nangyayari sa UP Manila lalo na sa PGH, kung saan reklamo pa lang na nakarating sa Legal Office ay kinukonsidera na agad na “pending.” Makumbinsi rin natin ang Administrasyon ng UP Manila at PGH na ipadaan ang initial investigation ng lahat na reklamo (maliban sa pilferage) sa mga Unit APC-PERC bago ito iparating sa Legal Office - at kung talagang may batayan ang reklamo. Sa mga APC-PERC, halos 50% ng mga reklamo’t hinaing ay nareresolba agad.

Ang Unit APC/PERC na binuo hanggang sa Division o Cluster Level ay nagpalawak sa partisipasyon ng mga rank-and-file sa halos lahat na aspeto ng personnel actions (hiring, promotion, transfers, scholarship, rewards and recognition, performance evaluation, mga apela sa evaluation, conflict resolutions at maging sa fact-finding investigations). Nabuo ito mula sa tuloy-tuloy na paggiit ng Unyon sa UP Manila at PGH Administration at sa tulong ng mga bukas sa pagbabagong mga kasama natin sa Personnel Office (HRDO na ngayon) ng UP Manila at ng PGH.

Nakamit din sa panunungkulan ng All UP Workers Union ang Hazard Pay, Subsistence at Laundry Allowance ng UP Manila CAD, Academic Units at NIH (sa ilalim ng Magna Carta of Public Health Workers o RA 7305). Ito ay nagmula sa sertipikasyon ng DOH na ibinigay sa UP Manila bilang “Health Sciences Center” (kaya lahat na mga kawani nito ay mga public health workers) na nakuha natin dahil na rin sa sama-samang pagkilos ng Unyon at malaking pagsisikap ni Dr. Marita Reyes noong siya pa ang pangulo ng ating chapter at magkasama pa ang mga academic at mga administratibong kawani sa iisang Unyon.

Benepisyong Nasa Negosasyon Pa

Sa harap ng mga tagumpay, mayroon pa tayong hindi pa natatapos na mga isyu at nasa kainitan ng negosasyon sa level na ng UP Manila. Ito ang 5% Longevity Pay, Free Hospitalization, at Overtime Pay sa ilalim ng RA 7305, gayundin ang exemption mula sa AO 103 s. 2004 para mapunuan ang maraming bakanteng item ng Utility Workers at iba pang mga administratibong kawani.

Ang pagpalit ng pangalan mula Nursing Attendant II tungo sa Midwife I ng may 52 na Nursing Attendant ay nasa level na rin ng DBM pero nangangailangan pa ng karagdagang mga batayan bago ito maaprubahan. Malaking bahagi sa tagumpay na ito ng mga kasamahan nating mga NA, ang kasigasigan ng dating Pangulo ng PGH Nursing Attendants Association na si Emma Añas. Siya ang nagbigay ng halos lahat na mga datos sa Unyon at sa PGH Nursing Service kung kaya’t napadali ang pagkumbinsi natin sa Administrasyon ng UP Manila at UP System na ituloy ang kahilingan ng mga NA hanggang sa DBM.

Mga Panukala Para Sa Bagong CNA

Bago ang petisyon para sa Certification Election (CE) ng ONAPUP, tayo sa All UP Workers Union ay may naisumite nang panukala para sa panibagong Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) noong ika-14 ng Pebrero 2007. Katunayan, naka-apat na pag-uusap na tayo sa UP Administrasyon bago natigil dahil sa CE. Kasama sa ating mga panukala ang mga sumusunod:

•Sa Deklarasyon ng mga Prinsipyo, itataas ang partisipasyon ng Unyon, mula “consultation” tungo sa “involvement” sa lahat na aspeto ng paggawa ng mga polisiya, plano at programa para sa mga karapatan, kagalingan at mga benepisyo ng mga kawani;

•Dagdag na 15 araw na Menstrual Leave at Breastfeeding Leave;

•Libreng bakuna at booster ng mga kawani at malalapit na kamag-anak laban sa TB, Flu, at Hepatitis;

•Rehabilitation Leave for Job Related Sickness (bukod sa job related injuries sa ilalim ng CSC Memorandum);

•15 araw na SPL mula sa kasalukuyang anim (6);

•Probisyon ng housing sa lahat na sektor ng UP;

•Free Legal Services para sa mga kawaning nademanda dahil sa paggampan ng kanilang trabaho;

•Isang buwan na pagsasaayos sa retirement papers na hindi ibabawas sa leave credits ng mga magreretiro.

•Fitness and wellness center sa lahat na mga Kampus;

•50% discount sa pagpapa-ospital ng mga retiradong kawani sa PGH at lahat na UP Infirmary;

•Apat (4) na sakong bigas na di bababa sa 50 Kgs. bawat isa, taon-taon;

•P2,000 na Loyalty Pay bawat taon ng serbisyo;

•Merit Incentive Grant na di bababa sa P10,000/year

•P10,000 Merit Award sa mga “sagad na”

•P2,500 na Christmas Grocery Allowance taon-taon

•P5,000 Medical Assistance kada taon

•P20,000 na Retirement Bonus

•P20,000 na Signing Bonus o CNA Incentive

Lahat ito ay mga panukala pa lang. Para ito lubos na maisakatuparan, kinakailangan ng subok na, at mas matibay na kinatawan ng mga kawani. Magtiwala na at bumoto sa All U.P. Workers Union sa CE sa darating na ika-24 ng Oktubre 2007.

Dagdag pa, sa UP Manila at PGH, ay may mga kampanya din na ating ipaglalaban kapag naaprubahan na ng Kalihim ng DOH ang amyenda sa IRR ng RA 7305 kung saan nakapaloob ang mga pagtataas sa ating Hazard Pay, Subsistence at Laundry Allowance sa ilalim ng RA 7305. Gayundin ang pagpapatupad ng Section 32 ng Nursing Act of 2002 para sa pagtaas ng basic pay ng mga nurses sa SG 15. Ang isyung ito ay dinala na natin sa Board of Nursing, DBM at DOH simula pa noong 2004.

Pinakamalakas na mandato para sa mas makabuluhang CNA!
Mag-All U.P. na! ###

UP Workers Union Pushes for Cash, Fringe Benefits

By Angelo Muniz

Philippine Collegian, March 12th, 2007

The All-UP Workers Union (AUPWU) is pushing for additional financial benefits and rights for administrative employees in UP through its proposed Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) forwarded to the UP administration on February 14.

The proposed agreement, which is an amendment of the existing CNA, was drafted after a series of conferences conducted by the AUPWU chapters in Diliman, Los Baños, and Manila. AUPWU, a 5000-strong labor organization, is the official union that represents all administrative employees in UP.

The existing negotiations agreement signed in 2002 expires on April 19, and the amended CNA, if approved, shall take effect until 2011.

Workers’ benefits

Among the demands contained in the proposed CNA is a P20,000 incentive for every worker once the new CNA is signed. In 2002, the first CNA provided for a P5,000 signing incentive.

The proposed CNA includes an additional annual subsidy of two sacks of rice, from only two sacks in the old CNA, as well as a centennial bonus not less than P20,000, P5,000 for medical assistance, and retirement benefits amounting to P20,000.

Aside from financial incentives, the amended CNA also advances additional non-financial benefits for UP employees like safeguards against gender discrimination and additional sickness leaves especially for women employees. The proposed CNA also recognizes the right of the union to directly represent employees in cases of employee movement like reorganization.

Meanwhile, Vice President for Legal Affairs Marvic Leonen, the chief negotiating officer of the UP administration on the CNA, refused to give his opinion on the substance of the CNA as he is still waiting for the outcome of the negotiation.

The UP administration and its employees first entered into a CNA in 1995. Governing the relationship of UP and its administrative employees, the CNA determines the employees’ rights and other benefits except for the salary, which is subject to the Salary Standardization Law.

Election of official representative union

Clodualdo Cabrera, president of AUPWU, expressed fear that the CNA will not be approved until the middle of 2008 due to a petition for Certification Election being pushed by an unknown group in UP. “This petition seeks to challenge the mandate of the AUPWU to represent UP workers in the CNA negotiations,” Cabrera said.

A certification election determines the official labor union that may negotiate with the administration through voting among UP employees. The AUPWU won in a certification election against the Organization of Non-Academic Personnel in UP in 2001.

Cabrera also said that workers are being misled by the anonymous group to believe that UP will not release the P20,000 signing incentive if a certification election is not held.

“The signing incentive is provided for in the CNA and will be given to the workers with or without the certification election. In fact, an election at this time will only delay the release of the incentive and the approval of the CNA,” he added.

Cabrera said that AUPWU will file with the Bureau of Labor Relations a petition for retraction should the anonymous group holding a signature campaign file a petition for certification election.

With an earlier agreement that negotiations should last for four months, AUPWU and the UP administration met again on March 13 and set the ground rules for the CNA negotiation. The union also expects that formal negotiations on the substance of the CNA will open on the same day. #

Note: Ang artikulo na ito ng Philippine Collegian noon pang ika-12 ng Marso 2007 ay ating nilimbag (publish) sa ating Web Log upang lalo pang bigyang pansin ang mga nagawa na ng All UP Workers Union kaugnay sa ating mga benepisyo at upang pabulaanan ang mga panlilito na ipinakalat ng kabilang unyon (ONAPUP) na kung ang All UP ang mananalo sa Certification Election sa ika-24 ng Oktubre 2007 ay walang signing bonus at o mabale-wala ang ating mga boto.

Plataporma at mga Nagawa: Ito ang Tunay na Isyu ng Kampanya

Ang kampanya sa Certification Election na gaganapin sa ika-24 ng Oktubre 2007 ay nagsimula na noong ika-13 ng Setyembre 2007. Kaagad-agad ang unyon ay nagpalabas ng mga poster para hikayatin ang ating mga kasamahan na iboto ang All UP Workers Union para pag-ibayuhin ang mga nakamit na tagumpay.

Malinaw sa nakalipas na limang taon ang plataporma ng unyon: Ipaglaban ang Sahod, Benipisyo at Karapatan sa mga Kawani ng U.P., ng Buong Pampublikong Sektor at ang Kapakanan ng Sambayanang Pilipino.

Ito ang dahilan kung bakit sa usapin ng P3,000.00 na dagdag sahod sa pampublikong kawani at back pay ng COLA ay dinadala natin hanggang sa Malakanyang at Kongreso dahil isyu ito ng buong pampublikong sektor at hindi lamang ng UP o ng PGH. Lumalahok din tayo sa kampanya para itaas ang budget ng pamahalaan para sa kalusugan at edukasyon dahil ito ay mga batayang serbisyo na sinasabi mismo ng ating Konstitusyon na responsibilidad ng pamahalaan at dapat binibigyang prayoridad. Ang UP at PGH ay kabahagi din sa isyung ito kaya dapat lamang na manguna tayo para igiit ito sa ating pamahalaan. Suma total, ang isyu ng bayan para sa maayos na serbisyong panlipunan at matinong pamahalaan ay isyu din natin sa UP at PGH dahil tayo ay sumasalamin lamang sa malawak na lipunan. Hindi tayo isang isla na hiwalay sa pangkalahatan.

Nais din nating ipaala-ala sa ating mga kasamahan na ang ating Collective Negotiation Agreement na pinirmahan nooong ika-19 ng Abril 2002 ay isa sa pinakamaunlad sa buong pampublikong sektor, at nais natin itong pagyamanin pa sa susunod na pakikipag-usap natin sa UP. Katunayan, ang CNA proposal na isinumite noong Pebrero 2007 sa UP Administration ay naglalaman ng mga panukalang itaas ang ating CNA Signing Bonus, mula P5,000.00 tungo sa P20,000.00; ang rice subsidy gagawin nang apat (4) na sako kada taon at hindi nakatali sa P1,000.00 halaga kada sako; libreng bakuna laban sa mga nakakahawang mga sakit, tulad ng flu, TB at Hepatitis; at, marami pang iba, tulad ng pagpapa-igting ng pakikipag-ugnayan sa UP Administration sa pagbubuo ng mga polisiya at programa sa mga kawani at serbisyo sa mamamayan (“involvement” sa halip na “consultation” lamang).

Ang lahat ng ito ay pilit na binabale-wala sa kampanya ng kabilang unyon. Subalit sa mga nakakaalam, sa loob ng limang taon nilang panunungkulan (1995 – 2000), wala man lang silang maipakitang kahit isang butil ng bigas para sa mga kawani, at ang P2,500 na signing bonus noong 1995 ay binawi pa dahil hindi ito nakalagay sa kanilang CNA. Ang masahol, ang kanilang matataas na mga opisyal ay di na nga halos nagrereport sa kani-kanilang opisina ay nagpakasasa pa sa pera ng mga kawani at suportang pinansiyal ng UP.#

Handa Na Ang All U.P. Workers Union Para Sa CERTIFICATION ELECTION (CE) sa Ika-24 ng Oktubre 2007

Sa desisyon ng Bureau of Labor Relations (B.L.R. – D.O.L.E.) nitong unang linggo ng Setyembre 2007, sinabi nito na magkakaroon ng Certification Election sa ating pamantasan (kabilang ang P.G.H.) sa pagitan ng All U.P. Workers Union at sa Organization of Non-Academic Personnel of U.P. (ONAPUP) at/o para sa walang unyon. Tayo sa All U.P. Workers Union ay pinaghahandaan na ang desisyong ito simula pa noong Pebrero 2007.

Kahit na may mga nakalap tayong ebidensiya sa garapalang pandaraya at pamemeke ng pagpapapirma ng kabilang unyon para sa petisyon para sa CE ay napagkaisahan ng National Executive Board na hindi na lang magpresenta pa ng mga testigo dahil magpapatagal lamang ito sa pagdedesisyon ng BLR na magpapatagal din ng anumang mga karagdagang benepisyo na ating makukuha mula sa panibagong Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA).

Matatandaang bago magsampa ng petisyon para sa CE ang kabilang union ay nakaapat (4) na beses na tayong nag-uusap ng Negotiating Panel ng U.P. Administration na pinapamunuan ni VP Marvic Leonen (Vice President for Legal Affairs ng UP) at nagkasundo na sa ilang dagdag na benepisyo tulad ng Breastfeeding Leave para sa mga nagpapasusong ina.

Kabilang rin sa ating panukala ay ang signing bonus o CNA Incentive na P20,000.00.

Dahil nga sa petisyon para sa CE na isinampa sa BLR ng kabilang unyon noong ika 17 ng Abril 2007 ay itinigil ang bagong negosasyon; at, ipagpapatuloy natin ito pagkatapos ng eleksiyon sa ika 24 ng Oktubre 2007 at pagkadeklara sa All U.P. Workers Union “bilang sole and exclusive negotiation agent.”

Wala tayong duda na dito sa U.P. Manila at PGH ay patuloy na susuportahan ng mga kawaning rank-and-file ang All U.P. Workers Union dahil naiguhit na natin sa kasaysayan ang maraming nagawa tulad ng rice subsidy, dagdag na special privilege leave, pag-gigiit na maisaayos ang mga proseso sa promosyon at mga kasong administratibo, at pagtatag ng mga istruktura para sa tuloy-tuloy na pag-uusap ng lahat na sektor at ng Administrasyon.

Dagdag pa, sa nakaraang dalawang eleksiyon (1994 at 2001), palaging All U.P. Workers Union ang dinala ng buong UP Manila (kabilang na ang PGH), dahil kahit hindi tayo ang kinikilalang unyon ng mga panahong iyon ay tuloy-tuloy tayong nakikipaglaban para sa sahod, benipisyo at karapatan ng mga ordinaryong kawani, di lamang ng UP kungdi ng buong pampublikong sektor.

PAG-IBAYUHIN ANG MGA NAKAMIT NA TAGUMPAY! IBOTO ANG ALL U.P. WORKERS UNION SA CERTIFICATION ELECTION!

No Excuse

Inquirer Editorial
Last updated 02:04am (Mla time) 09/23/2007

MANILA, Philippines -- Haste makes waste -- and lays waste to the cause of good government. It was with apparent haste that reporters were summoned yesterday to hear Trade Secretary Peter Favila and acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera announce the latest instructions from the President: Both the ZTE deal and the Cyber Education Project have been suspended.

This is like the President saying, at 4:40 in the afternoon, she’s issued a decree ordering the sun to set later in the day. Of course, there will be a sunset, but only a fool would attribute it to the President. But the Palace obviously thinks there are plenty of fools. For only foolish minds would confuse the President’s instructions with anything substantial. What has put the ZTE deal on hold took place prior to the President’s issuing her instructions. The deal was put on hold, and remains on hold, because of a TRO issued by the Supreme Court.

Therefore it really doesn’t matter at all, what the President’s instructions are—even with regard to the Cyber Education Project, which we already predicted will be the next focus of congressional and public inquiry. So the obvious thing here is, this is a public relations move, but it does not affect basic government policy.

And we say haste lays waste to good government, because pressed on what government intended to do next, and why the administration suddenly reversed itself on two huge projects, the two secretaries were at a loss for words. Favila simply stated the President told them what to say. Devanadera, obviously less politically suave, then told the media that the ZTE deal was legally defensible; Favila then told the media that the President’s decision was triggered by “bad publicity”—see how it’s basically a PR move?

The question then becomes, will the President’s weekend attempt to take credit for an act of the Supreme Court be enough to defuse tensions? Will it be enough, for example, to maintain the brittle peace within her ruling coalition? Could it stop a potentially explosive Senate hearing on Wednesday, where former Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri is due to testify under oath?

Newsbreak has put forward this version of events. The Comelec chair, its report says, approached then Neda chief Neri for “help” with the ZTE deal. Neri replied he’d take a look. Abalos, the report says, took this to mean Neri wasn’t interested, so he quickly said, “There’s 200 for you here.” Neri asked what he meant. Abalos allegedly replied, “200 million.” End of conversation.

Neri, the report says, then went to the President and told her about the offer. When Neri told her that he refused it, the President supposedly told him to forget the money but to approve the deal. Two days later, Neri was removed from the National Economic and Development Authority.

This is a version of events that requires investigation. With both Abalos and Neri scheduled to appear before the Senate, now, more than ever, the hearings should proceed.

The administration pulled out all the stops to try to deflect attention and reduce the focus on the NBN controversy, using fair means and foul. Everything and everyone—from presidential daughter Evangeline “Luli” Arroyo’s display of cattiness, to the AFP chief of staff’s blowhard statements of a destabilization plot and how martial law is a necessary tool in government’s legal arsenal, to this, the latest clumsy move by the President— have been tried.

The Senate then must ponder if it wants to be an accomplice to this effort to sweep things under the rug, or if it will pull the rug out from under the feet of some extremely nervous officials. The President said the ZTE contract would be suspended—“no ifs, ands or buts.” What there should be no ifs, ands or buts about is that the public interest requires a continuation of the Senate hearings.

The hearings themselves, after all, not only subject executive officials to much-needed public scrutiny, they also put the senators under the microscope. This can only be healthy for the body politic. This is what public accountability is all about. May we remind the President of one of her favorite expressions: “Let the chips fall where they may.”

Even at the very desk of the President of the Philippines, if necessary.

3K, 5K, 3K, Di Dapat Ipampalit sa Sampung Libong Pisong Pangako

Pahayag ng All UP Workers Union Manila kaugnay sa “PGH Centennial Bonus”

Sa diyalogo sa Direktor noong Martes, ika-17 ng Hulyo 2007, kimumpirma ni Director Alfiler na wala na nga ang bukambibig nya noon pang isang taon na P10,000.00 PGH Centennial Bonus. Sabi pa niya ay “target” lamang ang nasabing halaga kung kayat nakiusap siya na tanggapin na lang natin ang P3,000.00 “advanced” Anniversary Bonus. “Advanced” dahil ito ay para sa UP Centennial sa 2008 at inuna lamang na ipamimigay sa mga kawani ng PGH. Ito ay ayon daw sa rekomendasyon ng UP Administration at siyang hinihingan ng authority mula sa UP-Board of Regents (BOR) sa miting nito sa ika-27, ng Hulyo 2007.

Dagdag pa ni Direktor ay matatanggap din natin sa Agosto ang P5,000.00 na Merit Incentive at ang unang anim (6) na buwan na PhilHealth dividend na nasa pagitan ng P2,000.00 – P3,000.00.

Matatandaan na ang P5,000 Merit Incentive ay natatanggap na natin ng Agosto simula noong nakaraang taon ayon sa kahilingan ng Unyon upang maiwasan ang pagsilip ng DBM at COA sa karagdagang mga benepisyo na malimit ibinibigay ng UP sa huling buwan ng bawat taon. Ang PhilHealth dividend ay ibinibigay naman tuwing unang quarter ng bawat taon. Samakatuwid, ang matatanggap nating 3K, 5K, at 3K sa Agosto ay mga inadvance lamang na mga dati nang benepisyo, at walang bagong ibibigay ang PGH Administration bilang pagkilala sa mga sakripisyo at dedikasyon ng mga kawani sa pagdiriwang natin sa Sentenaryo ng ating mahal na ospital sa susunod na buwan.

Ang Unyon ay hindi kumbinsido sa mga paliwanag na ito ng Direktor kayat nagparating ito ng agarang sulat sa mga kasapi ng BOR para hilingin ang P10,000 na PGH Centennial Incentive dahil ang nasabing halaga ay nakasama na sa 2007 Internal Operating Budget ng PGH na naaprubahan na ng BOR noong ika-2 ng Mayo 2007. Mayroon ring sapat na kapangyarihan ang BOR na magbigay ng karagdagang insentibo (o anumang nais nitong ipangalan).

Kaya’t ang Unyon ay nanawagan sa lahat nating mga kasamahan na makiisa upang ipahayag ang ating pagkundina sa PGH Administration sa pangunguna ng Direktor dahil sa pagpapaasa sa atin simula pa noong ika-98 na pagdiriwang natin ng Anibersaryo ng PGH (o noong 2005) na makakatanggap tayo ng karagdagang benepisyo sa taong ito subalit kulang naman sila sa pagpupunyagi na maisakatuparan ito. Sa totoo lang, ni hindi nila nagawang humingi ng dagdag na pondo mula sa Malakanyang/DBM para sa nasabing benepisyo.

Nanawagan din tayo sa mga kasapi ng BOR para bigyang katuparan ang ating hiling na Centennial Incentive na P10,000. Naniniwala tayo na karapat-dapat tayong makatanggap ng ganitong insentibo dahil sa isandaang taon ng PGH, napatunayan natin sa Sambayanan ang mga naging kontribusyon ng ospital sa pag-unlad ng medical, nursing, pharmacy at iba pang pangkalusugang siyensiya sa ating bansa at sa pagbibigay ng direktang serbisyo.

Lumahok sa ating gagawing kilos protesta sa Huwebes, ika-26 ng Hulyo 2007 ganap na 12:00 – 1:00 ng hapon sa PGH Flagpole Area.

Pangakong P10,000 Insentibo, Isakatuparan!
Benepisyo, Ipaglaban!

Pahayag ng All U.P. Workers Union Manila Kaugnay sa “PGH Centennial Bonus”

Malinaw sa mga pangyayari na ang Alfiler Administration ay puro lamang “papogi” sa usapin ng pagpapatupad ng ipinangakong “PGH Centennial Bonus” ngunit kulang sa pagsaliksik at pagkamalikhain sa pagpapatupad ng nasabing isyu.

Noong Lunes, ika-2 ng Hulyo 2007 ay nakipagdiyalogo ang Unyon sa PGH Execom sa pangunguna ni Dr. Virgilio Novero, Deputy Director for Fiscal Services at kasalukuyang OIC ng ospital kaugnay sa napapabalitang “huwag munang asahan” ang “PGH Centennial Bonus” sa sentenaryo ng PGH sa ika-17 ng Agosto 2007. Dito kinumpirma ni Dr. Novero na sa miting ng UP-Board of Regents (UP-BOR) sa ika-27 ng Hulyo 2007 pa, naka-agenda ang isyu kaugnay nito.

Nauna pa rito, sa isang diyalogo sa Direktor at Execom noong Enero 2007 ay tiniyak nila na may pondo para sa P10,000 “PGH Centennial Bonus” na noong huling kwarto pa ng 2006 ay naipamalita na. Nababanggit din ito ni Director sa Flag Ceremony at sa mga ikot nya sa iba’t-ibang Departamento ng ospital. Mayo, 2007 dahil sa balitang ang mga nasa serbisyo lamang ng tatlo o humigit pang mga taon ang makakatanggap nito, ay humingi tayo ng paglilinaw sa PGH Personnel Division kung saan sinabi ng hepe na wala pang guidelines, at humihingi pa lang ng authority sa UP System para sa pagbibigay ng “PGH Centennial Bonus. Subalit sa ating pagfollow-up sa opisina ng University Secretary hanggang sa miting ng UP-BOR noong ika-28 ng Hunyo 2007 ay walang naka-agenda kaugnay ng paghingi ng authority sa pagbigay ng nasabing bonus.

Nitong ika-2 ng Hulyo, sinabi rin ni Dr. Domingo na mayroong outright authority ang U.P. na maaring makapagbigay ng P3,000.00 na bonus o insentibo kada empleyado kahit walang pag-otorisa ang UP-BOR.

Sa pag-aaral ng Unyon sa isyung ito, malinaw na sa kabila ng mga anunsiyo noon pang isang taon na nanggagaling mismo sa Direktor, ay ngayon lamang napag-aralan ng PGH Administrasyon ang legalidad sa nasabing “PGH Centennial Bonus” at ang kaugnay namang UP Centennial sa susunod na taon na tiyak na mayroon ding Anniversary o Centennial Bonus. Ang masama ay mukhang tinatanggap na nila na hindi makapagbigay ng P10,000.00 “PGH Centennial Bonus” at kinukundisyon tayo na tanggapin na lang ang P3,000.00 na insentibo (o anumang katawagan) kahit na mayroon nang naipangakong budget para sa P10,000.00 bawat isang kawani. Sa pagtingin ng Unyon, dahil sa 2006 pa lang ay ipinamalita na ito ng Direktor, mayroong responsibilidad ang PGH Administration na tuparin nito ang mga binitiwang salita. Nakikita din natin na nakasalalay ang kredibilidad ng administrasyon sa isyung ito na siyang magtatakda sa kooperasyon ng buong PGH Community sa susunod pang mga araw ng Alfiler Administration.

Naniniwala din tayo na karapat-dapat tayong tumanggap ng ganitong insentibo dahil sa isandaang taon ng PGH, napatunayan natin sa Sambayanan ang mga naging kontribusyon ng ospital sa pag-unlad ng medical, nursing at iba pang pangkalusugang siyensiya sa ating bansa at sa pagbibigay ng direktang serbisyo. Sa nakaraang pagkakataon din, maraming ipinangalan ang UP sa mga benepisyong gusto nitong ibigay. Kayat nasa pagkamalikhain ng Administrasyong Alfiler ang pagpapatunay sa UP Administration at UP-BOR na tayo sa PGH ay nararapat na makatanggap ng karagdagang benepisyo kaugnay sa pagdiriwang natin sa sentenaryo ng ospital, at upang maipakita nito ang pagpapahalaga sa mga kawani sa okasyong ito.

Kaya’t nananawagan tayo sa buong PGH Community na maghanda at lumahok sa mga gagawing pagkilos ng Unyon upang ilaban ang pagkakamit ng P10,000.00 na insentibo (o anumang katawagan) na pangako ni Direktor Carmelo Alfiler.

Pangakong P10,000 na “Insentibo” isakatuparan!

Benepisyo ipaglaban!

TIYAK NA ANG IMPLEMENTASYON NG UNANG RICE SUBSIDY: June 29 – simula na ng delivery

Sa darating na June 29, 2007 ay magsisimula na ang implementasyon ng 1st batch ng rice subsidy para sa mga administrative personnel ng U.P. Diliman, U.P. Manila/PGH, U.P.L.B, U.P. Open University at U.P. System. Ang sumusunod ang naging resulta ng bidding na naganap noong June 25, 2007:

(kg ng bigas)
U.P. Diliman – 40.1003 kg
U.P. Manila/PGH – 40.0561 kg
U.P.L.B. – 40.0400 kg
U.P. Open University – 40.0400 kg
U.P. System – 40.1003 kg

Sa pagpili ng bigas mas binigyan ng unyon ang mungkahi ng mga kawani na tiyakin ang kalidad ng bigas na maganda at masarap kainin. Kaya’t pinili ng unyon ang sinandomeng na may ratio na 90/10 (90% ang buo at 10% ang durog at hindi laon). Lumalabas na ang presyo ng bawat kg ng bigas ay halos P25.00 ( P1000.00 / P 25.00 = 40 kg).

Batay sa mga naunang ipinahayag ng unyon, ang naipagwagi nating P1,000.00 noong taong 2003 para sa rice subsidy ay lubhang napakababa na ng halaga kaya’t kailangang hilingin natin sa U.P. Administrasyon na itaas ito.

Ipinapaalala namin sa lahat na kung ang inyo pong nakuhang bigas ay hindi tumutugma sa sample ng bigas na hawak ng unyon ay mangyaring pakitawag kaagad sa ating opisina sa tel. no. 4043721 (direct line) o sa 5218450 loc 3951 upang mabigyan ng kaukulang aksyon.

Kaya’t patuloy ang panawagan ng All U.P. Workers Union sa lahat ng mga kawani na sa pagpapatuloy ng negosasyon, ipaglaban natin na hindi lamang 4 na sako ng bigas ang hilingin natin bawat taon kundi mas mataas pa sa P1,000.00 piso ang ibigay upang matugunan ang presyo ng isang kaban ng bigas at makapag-uwi tayo ng isang kabang bigas na mas mataas ang kalidad.

MGA KAWANI NG U.P. PATULOY NA MAGKAISA!

IPAGLABAN ANG ATING MGA KARAPATAN!

IPAGLABAN ANG MGA PANG-EKONOMIYANG PROBISYON SA ATING CNA!

IPAGTAGUMPAY ANG CERTIFICATION ELECTION!

MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT!!!

UPDATE SA RICE SUBSIDY: Failure of Bidding Noong ika-8 ng Hunyo 2007

Nagkaroon ng failure sa bidding para sa unang rice subsidy sa taong 2007 na ginanap noong nakaraang ika-8 ng Hunyo 2007 sa SOLAIR dahil sa walang dumating na mga bidder. Kagyat din na nagskedyul ng panibagong BIDDING ang espesyal na Bidding Committee sa ika-25 ng Hunyo 2007. Inaanyayahan ang mga kawani na dumalo sa bidding na ito upang masaksihan natin ang proseso ng bidding. Kung may mga kakilala o kontak din kayong mga miller/supplier ng bigas ay anyayahan natin silang sumali.

Makipag-ugnayan lamang sa opisina ng SPMO-System. Kagyat na nakipagkonsulta ang mga opisyal ng All U.P. Workers Union sa mga kawani upang mabatid ang kanilang mga opinyon at mungkahi. Marami ang nagpahayag ng ganito, “Dapat matiyak na maganda ang kalidad ng bigas at masarap kainin kaysa habulin ang 50 kilos bawat kaban.” Dagdag pa ng ilang kawani, “Mag-uuwi nga kami ng 50 kilos na bigas, e hindi naman masarap, ang mahalaga ay masarap kainin na kahit ulaman mo lamang ng bagoong ayos na.”

Sa bidding noong Hunyo 8, itinakda ng unyon na sinandomeng rice na locally harvested, 70/30 ratio (buo at durog) at dapat hindi bababa sa 50 kilos bawat kaban. Sa kasalukuyan ay masusing pinag-aaralan ng unyon ang mga mungkahing ito katulad ng mga sumusunod: mula sa 70/30 na ratio (buo/durog) itaas ang kalidad nito at gawin itong 90/10, sinandomeng, locally harvested at hindi laon, upang matiyak na ang maiuuwi nating bigas ay maganda at masarap kainin.

Sa pagsusuri ng unyon, ang nakaraang failure sa bidding bunga ng sobrang pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas ay maiuugat natin sa napakababa na ng halaga ng P1,000.00 piso na katumbas ng isang kabang bigas na ating naipagwagi sa nakaraang collective negotiation agreement (CNA) sa UP Administration na nagsimula pa noong 2003.

Kaya’t patuloy ang panawagan ng All U.P. Workers Union sa lahat ng mga kawani na sa pagpapatuloy ng negosasyon, ipaglaban natin na hindi lamang 4 na sako ng bigas bawat taon kung hindi ay itaas pa mula sa P1,000.00 piso ang katumbas ng isang kaban ng bigas upang maiwasan na ang failure ng bidding at makatiyak tayo na ang maiuuwi nating bigas ay masarap kainin.

Samantala, tuloy-tuloy ang pamamahagi ng mga rice stub/coupon ng mga lider ng All UP Workers Union sa bawat opisina. Mag-ingat tayo baka may mga pekeng rice-stub/coupon na kumalat dahilan sa sinasabi ng kabilang unyon na nagpa-pafollow-up din daw sila na ma-relis na ang 1 kabang bigas. Kakaiba talaga ang kabilang unyon na ito.Wala man nga lang silang ginawang trabaho o pagpapagod para ito ay maibigay, ngayon gusto pa nilang angkinin na sila ang dahilan ng pamimigay ng bigas. Wala na ba silang natitirang hiya sa kanilang sarili? Peke na nga ang ilang lagda sa CE na kanilang isinumete sa BLR, ngayon pati ba naman bigas gusto pa nilang ipeke! Tigilan na ang pagkukunwari na kayo ay nakikipaglaban para sa interes ng mga kawani!

UP Unions Oppose Privatization of Gov't Services: Government employees face mass lay-off

Two employees unions of the University of the Philippines in a joint statement expressed their opposition to the latest plan to accelerate the privatization of government services which, they said, makes government employees the sacrificial lambs in the government's inability to raise sufficient revenues and to curtail public spending.

BY LYN V. RAMO
Northern Dispatch
Posted by Bulatlat.com

BAGUIO CITY. Two employees unions of the University of the Philippines in a joint statement expressed their opposition to the latest plan to accelerate the privatization of government services which, they said, makes government employees the sacrificial lambs in the government's inability to raise sufficient revenues and to curtail public spending.

The All UP Workers Union (AUPWU) and the All UP Academic Employees Union (AUPAEU) said that "payback time is here and the immediate potential victims are government employees," referring to the alleged misuse of government funds to buy votes to ensure a fresh mandate for the Arroyo administration.

Clodualdo Cabrera and Judy Taguiwalo, presidents of the AUPWU and AUPAEU, respectively, also assailed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for not effecting substantial benefits to government employees. Both mentioned that "as government employees, we have not received any salary increase under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration." On the other hand, they said, government employees have been subjected to increases in direct and indirect tax impositions by the government.

While the Arroyo administration went on spending taxpayer money during the elections, even before the official canvassing of votes for the President and the Vice-President started, a US-based investment bank and research firm Bear, Stearns and Co, Inc. has recommended the retrenchment of a substantial number of public employees in order to reduce government spending.

On June 2, the said unions observed, the Civil Service Commission's Karina David announced a rationalization scheme that would reduce the government workforce by as much as 30%. David reportedly agreed with the other multilateral institutions and investment banks that the planned cut in the number of government employees would result in savings for the government.

The joint statement also mentioned that "government deficit cannot be attributed to a 1.4 million government workforce for a population of over 80 million people." It said that various groups have, time and again, pointed out that the government deficit is principally a function of government's faithful adherence to liberalization and deregulation.

These policies have reportedly reduced government income from import tariffs. Besides, the automatic appropriations for debt payments eat up 29-40% of the government budget. "Patronage and corruption also account for the deficit," Cabrera and Taguiwalo said.

They said that the timing of the two news reports is but another proof that policies affecting our jobs as Filipinos and as government workers are formulated in Washington DC and in New York, both in the USA, as they likewise condemned the continuing subservience of the Arroyo administration and the Civil Service Commission to the dictates of multilateral agencies and other foreign firms such as the Bear, Stearns and Co., Inc. Bulatlat.com

ANALYSIS: 'Hand of Steel' of State Terrorism

By Amando Doronila
Inquirer
Last updated 02:36am (Manila time) 01/24/2007
Published on page A11 of the January 24, 2007 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

(Concluded from Monday)

A DAY AFTER police commandos stormed the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to evict Gov. Niel Tupas Sr., President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commended the Marines for the slaying of Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Solaiman. She also told the convention of the League of Cities of the Philippines at the Manila Hotel that her administration was determined "to finish the job" of crushing Abu Sayyaf terrorism with a "hand of steel."

On Wednesday, the day of the raid, the government unsheathed the "hand of steel" at the Iloilo Capitol not against terrorists but against a hapless group of Tupas' supporters assembled in the capitol.

The assault sent out two menacing messages that shocked the nation: first, the "hand of steel" policy was not reserved exclusively for the Abu Sayyaf and extended to the regime's political opponents; second, it demonstrated in full that state terrorism has become an instrumentof the regime to crush not only the Abu Sayyaf and the long-running communist insurgency but also any form of legal opposition.

To appreciate the full extent of the application of the doctrine of state terrorism in Iloilo, it should be emphasized that the 200-strong, overwhelmingly armed police task force assaulted not a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf but the capitol to serve a dismissal order from the Office of the Ombudsman on Tupas and other provincial officials.

The raiders, using sophisticated automatic weapons, imagined they were mounting an assault on a band of terrorists holding hostages. But there was no such thing in the capitol to justify the excessive show of force. The assault was reminiscent of the Kempetai atrocities as they launched their nocturnal raids on civilian homes during the Japanese occupation.

The Iloilo assault has left a nightmarish scenario of state terrorism coming into full play during the past two years, driven by the administration' s campaign to eradicate the communist insurgency by the end of the President's term and characterized by the immensely huge toll of extrajudicial killings of suspected leftists and journalists. (The International Federation of Journalists recently reported thatthe Philippines became the second deadliest country for journalists, next to Iraq, in 2006. Thirteen Filipino journalists died during the year, bringing to 49 the number murdered by unknown assailants since Ms Arroyo took office in 2001.)

The TV footage of the Iloilo raid vividly portrays the atrocity of state-sponsored violence and foreshadows the atmosphere of violence in the forthcoming midterm elections where rivalry for congressional seats and local offices is expected to be overheated.

A replay of the footage in town plazas across the country should arouse alarm over the administration' s state terrorism doctrine and the dangers facing Philippine democracy if this is not stopped by an electoral defeat for the government in the May election. That footage is a powerful counter-weapon that does not cost much compared to the pork barrel the government is prepared to splurge.

The footage shows a 65-member strike force of the 6th Regional MobileGroup from Negros Occidental leading a 200-strong police force in the storming of the capitol. The troops smashed locks at the main gate and a glass door to gain entry into the building. The troops, in anti-riot gear, were armed with automatic rifles and machine guns and had their fingers on the trigger. They dispersed a few hundred supporters ofTupas gathered at the capitol entrance. Niel Jr., Tupas' son and amember of the provincial board, suffered bruises after the police pushed and kicked him.

Local journalists said policemen pointed M-16 rifles at them. The police crashed in after Tupas refused to obey orders from theDepartment of Interior and Local Government implementing the decision of the Ombudsman dismissing him on charges of graft and corruption.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno ordered the police assault after Tupas ignored Puno's ultimatum to step down in 48 hours to make way for Vice Gov. Roberto Armada. A timely temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals in Cebu stopped the raid and the arrest of Tupas.

The danger from the administration' s doctrine of state terrorism is far from over. The reaction of the Arroyo administration to the raid aggravated the episode and revealed the dangerous mentality behind the doctrine. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez criticized Chair Purificacion Quisumbing of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) forsaying she was shocked to see heavily armed policemen breaking into the capitol. Gonzalez derided the CHR chair for condemning the raid even though she was "not on the scene and has no basis for making such statements."

Gonzalez said Puno ordered the troops to storm the capitol after receiving information that released prisoners, armed men and NewPeople's Army rebels were inside the capitol. But Senior Supt. Pedro Merced, 6th Regional Mobile Group commander, belied Gonzalez's claims, saying that "when we entered we were surprised that there were no armed men."

Puno infuriated many when he defended the police, saying, "They should not be condemned. They should even be commended." He declared the assault a success "in general," and added, "I did not see any deployment of unnecessary forces. There were no serious injuries. No shots were fired."

Maybe Puno switched off the TV when the raid was under way. But words like these produce a widespread public backlash.

Ipaglaban ang PGH bilang Ospital ng Bayan: Rates Increase Tutulan

Siete pesos (P7.00) na blue card, magiging P15.00!
Isang libo’t limang daang piso (P1,500.)O.R. fee para sa charity!
4D Ultrasound ng matris - P600 charity rate!

Ang mga ito ay iilan lamang sa maraming dagdag at bagong rates na tinututulan ng All UP Workers Union Manila. Ang December 14 na memo (Memorandum No. 2006-131), na nagsasaad ng 29 na bago at dagdag na bayarin sa 6 na Clinical Units ay di makatarungan dahil ang serbisyo sa UP-PGH ay patuloy na tumataas at di na maabot ng marami nating kababayan. Sa taong 2005 at 2006, may 10 memo ng rates na kinabibilangan ng 111 na bago at 75 na pagtaas ng mga rates sa halos lahat na Clinical Departments. Malinaw na sa patuloy na rates increases, inaabandona ng pamahalaan ang pangunahing responsibilidad nito sa serbisyong pangkalusugan.

Bilang reaksyon ng PGH Management sa ilang mariing pamamaraan ng pagtutol na isinagawa ng Unyon ay nagkaroon ng diyalogo noong Martes, ika-9 ng Enero 2007. Tulad ng inaasahan sa pag-uusap, tahasang sinabi ng Management na dapat daw ay ipatupad ang hospital rates increase dahil daw sa mga isinaad nilang gastusin at kulang daw ang badyet mula sa Pambansang Pamahalaan. Kailangan daw nito ang karagdagang pondo upang mapatakbo ng episyente ang ospital at makapagbigay ng de-kalidad na serbisyo. Bagamat ang unyon ay sumasang-ayon sa layuning magbigay ng de-kalidad na serbisyo, di matwid na katwiran na ipasa ang malaking pasanin ng kakulangan sa badyet sa mamamayan.

Dagdag sa katwiran nila ay meron naman daw PhilHealth na tinagurian ng Management na “sugar daddy” na pwedeng hingian ng mga pasyente. Sa totoo lang, napakalimitado ng coverage ng PhilHealth; kapwa sa lawak ng mga sakit at presyong babalikatin nila, lalo na at napakaliit ng porsyento ng mga pasyente na meron nito. Sa isang agarang survey na isinagawa ng Unyon noong ika-11 ng Enero 2007 sa lahat ng mga pasyente ng mga Ward na karamihang pasyente ay operado; 70% ng mga pasyente/bantay na natanong ay hindi covered ng Philhealth (161 sa 229 na mga pasyente ng Ward 2, 4, 6, 8, 14B, 16 at SOJR).

Nanindigan ang unyon na hindi na dapat pang maningil ng karagdagan sa mga pasyente. Ang mga karaniwang nagpapatingin dito sa PGH ay mahihirap na mamamayan na sa simpleng pagpapa check-up pa lamang hirap na kaagad sa maraming gastusin tulad ng mga laboratory exams. x-rays, ultrasound at iba pa. Dagdag pa rito ang mga mamahaling gamot na nirereseta sa kanila na karamihan ay walang stock sa PGH Pharmacy. Halos maghapon ang pagpapatingin partikular sa OPD kaya dagdag pa sa kanilang gastusin ang kanilang pagkain o baon sa maghapon at gastusin sa pamasahe, na karamihan ay mula pa sa malalayong lugar.

Iginiit din ng unyon, na ang mga batayang karapatan tulad ng kalusugan ay dapat pinaglalaanan ng pamahalaan. Ang PGH na naturingang “Ospital ng Bayan” ay dapat maging ehemplo o maging modelong institusyon na nagtataguyod ng laan sa mamamayan, abot-kaya at de-kalidad na serbisyong pangkalusugan kaya dapat bigyan ng sapat na budget ng pamahalaan. Wag nating gamiting katwiran ang kakulangan ng badyet sa patakbong- negosyo ng ospital upang makalikom ng badyet na ang mamamayan naman ang nagdurusa, bagkus, dapat nating ipaglaban ang dagdag-badyet.

Sa pagtatapos ng nasabing pag-uusap, napagkasunduan ang pansamantalang pagtigil sa singil sa O.R. fee, dagdag na singil sa blue card at medical certificate.

Patuloy na naninindigan ang unyon na ibasura, hindi lang ang tatlong nabanggit, kundi pati na rin ang lahat na tumaas at mga bagong singilin na nakasaad sa memo. Maghanda tayo sa mas malawak at mas mataas na antas ng sama-samang pagkilos upang labanan ang walang patid na rates increase at ipaglaban ang ating karapatan sa kalusugan! Panatilihin nating ang PGH ay para sa bayan, at ang ating mga pagsikhay ay para sa bayan!

SERBISYO, HINDI NEGOSYO!

TUTULAN ANG PGH RATES INCREASE!

IPAGLABAN ANG KARAPATAN SA KALUSUGAN!

BUDGET PANGKALUSUGAN, DAGDAGAN!


All U.P. Workers Union Manila
Ika-12 ng Enero 2007

Tuloy ang Laban Kontra Rates Increase

Budget Pangkalusugan Dagdagan

Isang makabuluhang araw ang Biyernes, Enero 5, 2007. Una, nagkaroon ng pangkalahatang pulong ang unyon kung saan mayoryang napagkasunduan ang isang kilos-protesta upang ikondena ang Memo #2006-131 na nagsasaad ng dagdag at bagong singilin sa serbisyo ng PGH. Ikalawa, ang dagliang pagpapalabas ng panibagong kautusan ng PGH Administration: Memo# 2007-05 na nag-uutos ng pansamantalang pagpapatigil ng dagdag na singil sa blue card (mula P7.00 naging P15.00) at planong O.R. fee sa charity (P1,500.00)

Sa pagtingin ng unyon, ginawa ito ng PGH admin upang mapigilan lamang ang nakatakdang kilos-protesta sa araw ng kanyang inagurasyon (Enero 8, 2007). Malinaw na ang usapin ng rates increase sa PGH ay hindi pa tapos sapagkat ang dagdag na singil sa blue card at ang bagong O.R. fee sa charity ay “ipinagpaliban lamang hanggang sa pag-uusap sa ika-9 ng Enero 2007.

Ang All U.P. Workers Union ay nananawagan sa ating mga kawani at mamamayan na patuloy nating tutulan ang isyu ng rates increase sa PGH, sapagkat isa lamang ito sa maraming hamon sa atin ng 2007. Bilang siyang pinakamalaking ospital ng bansa, ang anumang nangyayari sa PGH ay sumasalamin sa kalagayang pangkalusugan sa buong bansa.

Simula pa ng taong 1993 hanggang sa kasalukuyan, ang budget ng ospital na nagmumula sa Pambansang Pamahalaan para sa personnel at MOOE ay nakatali lamang sa isang bilyong piso (P1 Bilyon) samantalang ang kabuuang pangangailangan ng ospital ay umaabot na sa mahigit P2 bilyon. Sa tuwi-tuwina, ang pambansang pamahalaan lalo na ang Malakanyang ay nagsasabi na mayroong sapat na pondo para sa serbisyong panlipunan tulad ng kalusugan. Subalit kung ating susuriing mabuti ang mga pangyayari, hanggang bukang bibig lamang ang lahat.

Sa isang banda, nakikita natin ang bilyon-bilyong pisong napupunta lamang sa graft and corruption tulad ng Macapagal Boulevard, Fertilizer Scam, ang pagwawaldas sa GSIS at marami pang iba. Sa tuwi-tuwina din, nandidiyan ang pagtaas sa suweldo ng pulis at military at ang taon-taong pagtaas ng budget ng pulis at military. Kamakailan lamang ay nag-anunsiyo ang Malakanyang at AFP na bukod sa dagdag budget ay mayroong nakahiwalay na P10 bilyon ang military para sa modernization nito para sa 2007. Kung ating matandaan noong panahon ni Presidente Ramos, mayroong P40 bilyon para daw sa AFP Modernization subalit nawala lang ang P40 bilyon at ni isang bagong jetfighter at barko ay walang nabili, sa halip nakikita natin na ang lahat na mga matataas na opisyal ng AFP lalo na ang mga Comptroller nito ay naging mga milyonaryo.

Samakatuwid hindi ito usapin ng kakulangan ng pondo para sa serbisyo, ito ay usapin ng maling pamamalakad ng pamahalaan at prayoridad nito. Kaya’t nasa atin ang paggigiit na bigyang prayoridad ang serbisyong panlipunan tulad ng kalusugan at edukasyon.

Tutulan Ang Dagdag At Bagong Singilin Sa Serbisyo Sa PGH-Ang Ospital Ng Bayan! Magmalasakit Para Sa Mamamayang Pilipino; Paglingkuran Ang Sambayanan!

All U.P. Workers Union
Ika-8 ng Enero 2007

Rates Increase sa PGH, Di Makatarungan, Tutulan

Isang linggo bago ang Pasko, ginulantang tayo ng Memo mula sa Direktor kaugnay sa bago na namang yugto ng rates increase kasama na dito ang pagtaas ng blue card mula sa P7.00 ay magiging P15.00; at ang O.R. fee sa charity mula sa wala ay magkakaroon na ng P1,500.00 na paniningil. Hindi natin maunawaan ang motibo ng nasabing pagtaas at dagdag na singilin sa harap ng patuloy na pagtaas ng antas ng kahirapan. Nakakalungkot isipin na sa gitna ng pagdiriwang natin ng Pasko at bagong taon, ang anti-mamayang patakaran sa ngalan ng “end-user fee scheme” ay ipinapatupad mismo dito sa atin sa PGH na kilala bilang ospital ng bayan.

Ang All U.P. Workers Union ay kumukondena sa anumang uri ng pagtaas ng singilin sapagkat alam nating ang Sambayanang naghihirap ang lubos na tatamaan ng patakarang ito. Tayo ay naniniwala sa ilalim ng “parens patria” na konsepto ng pamahalaan ay dapat ang mga batayang karapatan tulad ng kalusugan ay pinapangalagaan ng pamahalaan. Kayat dapat bigyan ito ng sapat na budget at hindi iniaasa sa pagbabayad ng mga mamamayang nangangailangan nito, lalo na ng mga mahihirap.

Batay na rin sa pinakahuling survey ng SWS tinatayang may 3.3 milyong pamilya o halos 20 milyong indibidwal ang nakakaranas ng gutom na hindi bababa sa isang beses sa nakaraang tatlong buwan (bagong pinakamataas na record) at ayon na rin sa rekord ng ADB at sa HDI ng UN, mahigit otsenta porsiyento (↑80%) ng mga Pilipino ay nabubuhay lamang o mababa pa sa dalawang dolyar ($2.00) na kita kada araw. Batay sa ganitong datos, masasabi nating walang puso ang sinumang may pakana sa panibago na namang pagtaas na ito, lalo pa at sa loob ng nakaraang limang taon ay walang nadagdag sa suweldo nating mga kawani ng pamahalaan.

Tama na! Sobra na! Panahon na upang tayong lahat ay makialam sa nangyayaring ito sa ating mahal na ospital. Ngayong taong 2007, ipinagdiriwang natin ang ika-100 na taon ng pagkakatatag ng PGH; ito ay itinatag para sa pangangailang pangkalusugan ng nga mamamayan lalo na ng mga mahihirap, huwag natin itong hayaang maging “Private General Hospital.”

Bilang mga kawani ng Philippine General Hospital, marami sa atin ang patuloy at tapat na naninilbihan dahil alam nating tayo ay nakakatulong sa ating mamamayan lalo sa mga mahihirap nating kababayan. Kung ang lahat ng serbisyo ng PGH, kabilang na ang operasyong pang-charity ay mayroon nang bayad, marahil, marami sa atin ang magtatanong: Saan na patungo ang serbisyo ng PGH; ng patuloy na paninilbihan sa PGH? Huwag nating hayaan na ang ating pagseserbisyo ay maging isang negosyo!

TUTULAN ANG PANIBAGONG RATES INCREASE SA PGH – ANG OSPITAL NG BAYAN! PAGTIBAYIN ANG ATING HANAY AT MAGHANDA SA HAMON NG 2007 PARA SA SAMA-SAMANG PAGKILOS!

MAGMALASAKIT PARA SA MAMAMAYANG PILIPINO! PAGLINGKURAN ANG SAMBAYANAN!

All U.P. Workers Union
Ika-2 ng Enero 2007

National Council Meeting sa UP Tacloban Malaking Tagumpay

2006 P5,000.00 na Additional Incentive at P1,000.00 na Christmas Grocery Allowance Naaprobahan ng BOR dahil sa Sama-samang Pagkilos

Malaking tagumpay ang miting ng Pambansang Konseho (National Council) ng All U.P. Workers Union na ginanap mula ika-21 hanggang ika-23 ng Nobyembre 2006 sa Guest House ng U.P. Tacloban. Ito ay dinaluhan ng lahat na mga kasapi ng National Executive Board (NEB), at mga Presidente at BisePresidente ng mga chapter sa iba't-ibang campus ng U.P. sa buong bansa at ng limang (5) kasapi ng konseho na inihalal sa General Assembly. Sa mga nakatakdang dumalo, ang kinatawan ng U.P. Mindanao at Open University ang hindi nakarating dahil sa problema ng kanilang eskedyul sa trabaho.

Matatandaang ang orihinal na eskedyul ng miting ng konseho ay sa ika-29 ng Nobyembre hanggang ika 1 ng Disyembre 2006 pa sa U.P. Los Baños, subalit dahil sa walang katiyakang sagot ng Management Panel sa miting ng Union-Management Consultative Board (UMCB) noong Oktubre ay naipasya ng NEB na sundan ang miting ng U.P. Board of Regents (BOR) sa Palo, Leyte noong ika-24 ng Nobyembre 2006.

Sa miting ng konseho, naitakda ang mga gawain ng unyon sa taong 2007 kung saan matatapos na ang bisa ng ating Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) at panahon na rin ng General Assembly at paghalal ng panibagong mga chapter at pambansang opisyales. Naitakda rin ang ating pagtutol sa mga hindi makatarungang probisyon ng panukalang Government Classification and Compensation Act of 2006 o mas kilala sa tawag na SSL III.

Kaugnay sa CNA, ang unyon ay maghahain ng panibagong teksto para sa panibagong pag-uusap sa U.P. Management bago lumipas ang bisa ng kasalukuyang CNA - mayroon man o walang hamon ng panibagong Certification Election mula sa kabilang unyon. Ayon sa tradisyon, itinakda ang Pangkalahatang Asembleya sa unang linggo ng Disyembre 2007, ito ay gaganapin sa U.P. Los Baños. Magdaraos naman ang unyon ng kampanya laban sa SSL III at sasama sa mga pagkilos ng All G.E. Coalition kaugnay dito sa susunod na mga araw. Ang All G.E. Coalition at binubuo ng mga unyon sa ilalim ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers, COURAGE, Alliance of Health Workers at iba pang mga unyong tunay na kumakatawan ng mga kawaning rank-and-file sa gobyerno.

Sa miting ng BOR (ika-24 ng Nobyembre 2006) , sama-samang kumilos ang mga kawani ng U.P. Tacloban sa pangunguna ng All U.P. Workers Union at mga estudyante ng U.P. Tacloban at School of Health Sciences sa Palo, Leyte sa harap ng Mac Arthur Park Resort Hotel sa Palo. Ang kawni ay upang ipaglaban ang P5,000.00 na additional incentive at P1,000.00 na Christmas Grocery Allowance. Ang sa mga estudyante naman ay upang tutulan ang P250% na panukala ng U.P. Administration na pagtaas ng tuition fee. Iisang boses na sinang-ayunan ng BOR ang hiling ng mga kawani samantalang hindi pa pinag-usapan ang tuition fee increase.

Anim (6) ang mga delegado na nanggaling sa U.P. Manila. Ito ay sina: Elesio Estropigan - Pambansang Ingat-yaman; Belinda Jubilo Santos at Ernesto Ragudos - NC Members-at-large; Jossel Ebesate - Pambansang P.R.O. at Presidente ng Manila Chapter; Jesusa Besido - Bise-Presidente ng Chapter; at, Freddie Waje - Chapter Council Member.

Getting Real on the UP Tuition Hike - A Rejoinder from USC

We would like to make a public clarification and rebuttal on Mrs. Solita Monsod's "Get Real" column published in the Inquirer on Nov. 25, entitled 'Trapo'-like spins on UP tuition hikes. This is not the first time she has written a column to defend the tuition and other fees increase (TOFI) proposal in the University of the Philippines, and her continued publicity of the UP administration' s twisted truths and false argumentations only reveals the real "trapo" there could be.

First, she purposefully underestimated the crowd that joined the boycott of classes last Nov. 23 in UP to number only "from 200 to 400 people." Anyone who passed by the demonstration program last Thursday noon could easily disprove her. We also wonder where she got her "information from all colleges on campus" that "none were cancelled for lack of attendance." Majority of the colleges in UP Diliman were present at the rally and even carried banners of their college's unity against the proposed TOFI, not to mention that boycott and protest programs were also successful at the other UP units nationwide.

Monsod also attempted to give malice to the participants of the rally by questioning if "they were all from the UP community" or "were all UP students." Indeed they were not, for the protest against TOFI has been actively participated by many other sectors from the UP community including her colleagues in the faculty who know better, and has been supported by other groups outside UP who oppose the commercialization of education.

Clearly, Monsod and her cohorts can only delude themselves by trying to undermine the collective efforts of the growing opposition to TOFI in UP.

Monsod furthermore defends the UP admin by proclaiming that "in the spirit of academic freedom and freedom of speech, they (rallies) are allowed, defended, and even encouraged by UP authorities. " We can hardly recall the last time that the UP admin allowed us to rally, and she must not forget the admin's harsh dispersal of the UP community's picket in protest of the massive lay-off of janitors in the campus only a few months ago. Even our premier student publication, the Philippine Collegian, has not withstood such granting of "freedom" and has been shut down for three months now.

Monsod then proceeds to echo the UP admin's basic pro-TOFI reasonings. She says that one reason that students may have been "indifferent" is because the TOFI will only be imposed on incoming students. This is precisely the pacifying logic the admin uses to promote indifference among students in order to proceed more easily with their schemes. The admin also uses this argument to avoid consultation with the present students and members of UP community. Such argument only fools us for it is as if we have already escaped the present crisis of education we are in by not directly enduring the TOFI, and that the present and future generation of students do not have the same objective interests for more accessible and quality education.

Monsod then champions the concept of the STFAP or the Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program to supposedly group students to how much one should pay depending on his income. But Monsod (on purpose) failed to mention that under the current STFAP, three out of the nine income groupings are given full subsidy for tuition, and with the current proposal, only the first of the five new income groupings will be fully freed from the tuition, which the UP admin targets to be no more than 10 percent of the students. We know very well that the STFAP was actually created to implement tuition increases and make it seemingly palatable. As what happened in 1989 when the STFAP was first implemented, UP tuition skyrocketed from P45 to P300 per unit, and now, 90 percent of students fall under the highest STFAP grouping which pay that full cost of tuition.

If we really look at the social strata that is unfamiliar to the STFAP and to the economics specialist who is Monsod, 60 percent of our youth could not enter college anymore mainly because of unaffordability, and 90 percent could not finish their college degrees. UP being a state university, in case Monsod and company have totally forgotten, should not even entertain bracketing of tuition payments because there should be no tuition fee at all in a supposed state-funded educational institution. Given the crisis in the youth's education that we face, it is still hard to imagine the concept of free education nowadays (which is actually implemented in some countries, from primary to tertiary education), thanks to the likes of Monsod who makes things appear to be not so bad at all.

If bannering and clamoring to uphold that education, as a right, should be more accessible to our youth and should serve the interests of the people displeases the likes of Monsod, our students will not hesitate to partake for more.

Juan Paolo Alfonso
Chairperson
UP Diliman University Student Council
Room 204, 2nd floor
Vinzons Hall
UP Diliman, Quezon City

Statement on the Charge of Rebellion

Francisco Nemenzo
Former President and Professor Emeritus University of the Philippines

If the attachments to the subpoena are all the evidence they can produce, the NBI and CIDG are wasting the time of the state prosecutors by including me in the rebellion case [NBI and CIDG vs. MGen. Renato Miranda, et al. IS No. 2006-1003].

They did such a sloppy job that they could not even get my name right. In the subpoena I am listed as "Prudencio Dodong Nemenzo." Everyone in UP knows my real name. A call to Diliman or a visit to UP Manila (the NBI's next door neighbor) would have spared them from this embarrassing error. I could have taken advantage of their carelessness to deny that I am one of the accused. But I do not want to get off the hook through technicality. I welcome this charge – no matter how silly and malicious – as an opportunity to reiterate the views that the Arroyo government seeks to suppress.

I choose to speak in my own voice instead of speaking through my lawyers to show that the oppositioncannot be cowed. The mass movement will not be intimidated. We shall continue to call for the ouster of an illegitimate, corrupt, incompetent, and repressive regime that has inflicted so much damage to our country. It is our patriotic duty to defend the area of freedom that people's power had carved out in the struggle against the Marcos dictatorship.

The best way to defend freedom is to exercise it. Responsible citizens cannot watch in silence as the minions of Mrs. Arroyo make a mockery of our democratic rights.

Bases for the allegations

Before I go further, let me answer the specific charges. In some 150 pages of documentation, I am mentioned only twice: in the affidavits of Lt. Lawrence San Juan and Lt. Patricio Bumidang. My name does not appear in the letter of transmittal, the Lopez report, or the affidavits and transcripts of oral testimonies.

San Juan claims that I met a group of junior officers to discuss the Blueprint for a Viable Philippines. This I do not deny. What is wrong with discussing with soldiers the problems of our country and the policy options available? They, too, are citizens who are worried about our country's plunge to disaster.

I should emphasize, however, that I met San Juan before he escaped, before he became a fugitive. There was therefore nothing conspiratorial about the meeting. We also discussed the Blueprint with colleagues in academe, with journalists, religious communities, mass organizations, and even with Makati business executives.

This document is published and widely circulated. In fact, it is posted in the Internet and can be downloaded by anybody who cares about the future of this country.

In a separate affidavit Bumidang alleges that I visited him and other fugitives in the house of Renato Constantino, Jr. It is not unusual for me to visit RC Constantino because we are old friends. I have been to his house countless times; but never did I find soldiers among his guests.

Mr. Bumidang's story is inaccurate. In truth, I first saw Mr. Bumidang's face on television, when he and companions were paraded for public humiliation after their capture.

I hold no rancor toward San Juan and Bumidang. They have been kept in isolation and probably subjected to physical and mental torture. Having experienced solitary confinement myself, I know how vulnerable they are to intrigues and disinformation. It is not improbable that their tormentors put words into their mouths.

For this investigation to becredible to the intelligent public, I challenge Gen. Esperon to allow media, in the presence of bishops and other religious leaders, to interview San Juan and Bumidang. Release them from isolation and let them answer questions about their affidavits outside the intimidating atmosphere of an interrogation chamber. If indeed they are telling the truth, there is no reason to shield them from public grilling.

The legitimacy crisis

When citizens perceive the government as legitimate, they will obey even if they disagree with its policies; otherwise, they have to be forced to obey. The current political instability is rooted in this widespread perception that the president is a usurper who uses foul means to keep herself in power. All opinion surveys show that most people doubt the legitimacy of her accession in 2001 and her reelection in 2004.

When those who are supposed to protect her government and enforce her orders doubt her legitimacy as well, her position is precarious indeed. She is lucky that the protest movement has yet to reach the stage of rebellion. Rebellion properly so called involves the use of arms. A peaceful demonstration, no matter how massive, does not constitute a rebellion. Wishing for a coup is not rebellion. But Mrs. Arroyo's minions, by accusing us of what we have not done, provoke the angry multitude who may be less temperate to turn the fabricated scenario into a grim reality.

Dictators panic when they hear voices of dissent because when people gain the courage to defy, the effectiveness of state coercion is diminished. But a democratic government, confident of its own legitimacy, responds to such voices with equanimity.

I was never convinced of the legitimacy of Mrs. Arroyo's accession to power. Yet, as head of a state institution (as President of the University ofthe Philippines) I urged my constituents to accept her presidency as an accomplished fact and give her the benefit of the doubt. That was because I was painfully aware that a breakdown of civic order would prevent UP from catching up with the other premier universities in Asia.

It became increasingly clear, however, that Mrs. Arroyo does not deserve our qualified and tentative support. She continues to pursue the neo-liberal policies that have devastated the lives of the working people. She has incurred more public debts than her three predecessors put together. While waving the banner of a "strong republic," her government could not enforce the laws on influential malefactors. She blames external circumstances for our economic woes, but it is her policies that make the country vulnerable to the vagaries of the global market. In a sense, she is the No. 1 destabilizer.

She had a chance to legitimize her illegitimate regime by a convincing victory in the 2004 elections. But she squandered the chance. The indecent haste in her proclamation in the wee hours of the morning, and the stubborn refusal to open for scrutiny the certificates of canvass in contested provinces reinforced the suspicion of massive cheating. This worsened when her rabid supporters in the Lower House aborted the impeachment process, invoking flimsy arguments that could only persuade the blind and the brainless.

By depriving the Senate of the opportunity to evaluate and pass judgment on the authenticity and implications of the Garci tapes, they closed the last possibility of removing her through constitutional means. This prompted people, out of frustration, to explore of the extra-constitutional channels. As doubts of her legitimacy mount, Mrs. Arroyo and her minions are now resorting to systematic intimidation.

Since the much ballyhooed "all out war" miserably failed to crush the underground opposition, her minions have started running after the above ground opposition. The special target of the latest drive is the open mass movement. Peaceful rallies are violently dispersed. Some 800 grassroots activists have perished in extra-judicial executions. Lately they are threatening to replace elected opposition mayors withdocile partisans. Unrest in the armed services

This campaign of intimidation is the context of this and similar cases recently filed. Without being asked, I take up the cudgels for the active and retired military and police officers who are similarly accused, but who cannot speak freely because they are either detained or forced into hiding by a fabulous reward for their capture, dead or alive. Among them are the finest officers in the AFP and PNP.

These are not the stereotype soldiers who blindly follow orders from the chain of command. These are intelligent officers who dare to ask if the regime deserves the risk to their lives and the lives of the men under their command. With RSBS sponged dry, they also worry about the survival of the families they might leave behind. In a brazen display of hypocrisy, their star-spangled superiors invoke the doctrine of "political neutrality" to whip them into line.

But these soldiers have come to realize that "political neutrality" is a fiction. Many times in Philippine history, the AFP and PNP played a political role. They have been used to protect the elite from the outraged masses. They have also been used to thwart the people's will in fraudulent elections. These soldiers who now stand accused for violating "political neutrality" are in fact trying to redeem their profession from ignominy, by aligning themselves with the people. They seek to transform the armed services from a tool of elite rule and an instrument of deceitful politicians into a force for genuine democracy and social reforms.

Extrapolating from survey results, a coup to evict GMA would be the most popular coup in Philippine history. But there was no danger of that last February 24th. It is evident in the Lopez report and the affidavits and testimonies appended to the complaint against us that Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Col. Ariel Querubin did not plan to stage a coup. They just wanted to march with their troops to the EDSA shrine and join a civilian crowd in calling for withdrawal of support from an illegitimate and corrupt government. Real coup plotters do not ask permission from their superior officers, much less invite them to heed the clamor from below.

As a political science professor who specialized in the study of unconventional forms of political action, I have been a keen observer of military affairs. I therefore understand and sympathize with these disgruntledsoldiers, but I vehemently disclaim the charge that we conspired against the Filipino people.

STATEMENT OF THE U.P. FACULTY REGENT ON THE REBELLION RAPS AGAINST FORMER U.P. PRESIDENT FRANCISCO "DODONG" NEMENZO, ET AL

Press Statement
8 November 2006

I join the U.P. academic community in expressing solidarity and support to our faculty colleague and former University of the Philippines President Francisco "Dodong" Nemenzo, Jr., who is being charged with "rebellion"and "obstruction of justice". The charges are reminiscent of th 1950s when U.P. faculty members who were known to have progressive and nationalist views were witchhunted by the Congressional Committee on "Un-Filipino activities" and accused of being Communists and conspirators. Those hysterical and red-baiting hearings only exposed the intolerance of the Philippine oligarchy and their counterpart American Cold Warriors in the U.S. Embassy, towards peasant and worker unrest which had found sympathetic allies in the academe, especially among our faculty ranks.

The charges against our colleague Dodong Nemenzo only manifest the desperation of the illegal occupant in Malacanang who is now retaliating against leaders of the broad opposition. Dodong Nemenzo is the President of the Laban ng Masa, a coalition of NGOs and people's organizations, which has been actively questionning the legitimacy of the despot in Malacanang in the aftermath of the fraudulent 2004 Presidential elections. Even opposition mayors like Mayor Jejomar Binay of Makati are being charged with all kinds of allegations, even while corrupt pro-administration politicians are being acquitted or protected.

The charges of rebellion against our U.P. colleague Nemenzo and 40 others are an attempt to crack down on dissent and to silence the legal opposition. I call on all our colleagues in the U.P. Academic Community to support the ideals and principles which our former University president stands for. Let us resist the violent attacks and harassments from despots who will soon be properly consigned to the dustbin of history.


Roland G. Simbulan
Professor and Faculty Regent
U.P. System

Ermita’s Assistant Secretary is Among Suspected Bombers?

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Bad Eggs and Right Conduct

by: Giovanni A. Tapang, Ph.D.
gtapang@nip. upd.edu.ph
National Institute of Physics
http://www.nip. upd.edu.ph/ ipl
University of the Philippines Diliman

It is so easy to throw back barbs at the activists who threw eggs at Esperon in the form of condemnation and outright indignation, as one's sense of academic decorum is disturbed by the very vivid and graphic activity.

However, the condemnation can dangerously morph into uncalled-for anti-communist hysteria and McCarthyist red-baiting, as is being done byAlex Magno and his friends in the seats of power in Malacanang. In his intolerant column supposedly written in defense of free speech and intellectual tolerance in the university, he equates the incident to fascism and “communist terrorism”. Unfortunately, this only parrots and tows the military's dangerous – and fallacious-- reasoning that unarmed activists are no different from their NPA targets.

Equally dangerous is the opinion that activists must have deserved bein gtargets as they behave “badly”. This is not a case of fighting fire with fire. The AFP has guns. Students have only eggs and words. Esperon and his men have outrightly taken part in electoral fraud and have blatantly tolerated the abduction, torture and killings of unarmed civilians.

Nothing can be more shameful than simply letting go of such iniquity.

The activist students certainly put that difference in power in a graphic light with the pelting that happened.

This is the same General Esperon, mentioned a few times in the Hello Garci tapes, which is the reason he is also called a Hello Garci General. He is one among a few generals who helped in the cheating for Gloria in the 2004 elections. You can verify that by studying the contents of the Hello Garci tapes. There was a new book launched last Monday at the UP College of Law called FRAUD which documents the cheating in the 2004 elections.

This is the same General Esperon, who has made public in several instances his total absence for respect for the peace process. Did he not welcome with open arms "President" Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo' s declaration of "all-out war" against the Left, and the accompany inggrant of an additional P1-billion budget for state forces to use in the counter-"insurgency " campaign?

The "all-out-war" declared by Arroyo, by the way, is not specifically against the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People's Army, and the National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) -- which as organizations are engaged in armed struggle with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) even as it strives to talk peace with its foe. It is against the Left -- a broad term which can be taken to include legal cause-oriented organizations like the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and progressive party-list groups like Bayan Muna or even progressive individuals that earned the ire of the leading clique in power. There is no distinction between guerrillas and unarmed activists then.

This is the same General Esperon who continues to hide the Mayuga report. Is he scared that the Mayuga report will expose his role in Arroyo's massive cheating, and that he got his job not because of merit, but because of patronage? Yet he is being fast tracked in promotion overmore senior staff in the AFP.

This is the General Esperon, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief-of- Staff who said at the Melo Commissin that the military and Palparan are not the ones who committed the more than 750 extra judicial killings of activists and civilians. Instead he was saying that the Left themselves are killing their members. He did not lift even a single finger to touch Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, Jr. while the latter was calling Karen and Sherlyn members of the NPA.

With that, he has dismissed the charge that the two UP lady students, Karen Empeño and Sheylyn Calapan, (abducted by the military in Hagonoy,Bulacan 2 months ago and still missing) and effectively saying that they were really not abducted by the military. Some of those students who attended that forum were friends of Karen and Sherylyn and you can very well imagine how they felt about it.

Yet, despite these, the students have had decorum enough to throw only eggs.###--

Digging Deeper Into The Leakage

Streetwise
By: Carol Pagaduan-Araullo
Business World
8-9 September 2006

As a medical student learns early on, signs and symptoms are mere indicators of an underlying illness; real cure comes from diagnosing and treating the disease, not just mitigating its manifestations. The concept is not difficult for even the layman to understand since it is grounded on the truism that problem solving requires digging deep at the root causes if a genuine solution is to be found.

Why then the seeming inability, or perhaps unwillingness, of government to see beyond the current scandal of the nursing board exam leakage? Is this just another case of unscrupulous government officials colluding with profiteering owners of nursing schools and review centers to allow unqualified examinees to cheat their way to their licenses? Or is there something more here than meets the eye?

The magnitude of the problem is laid bare by the following: the filing of charges against two examiners from the Board of Nursing (BON) of theProfessional Regulation Commission (PRC); the forced resignation of the President and Vice-President of the Philippine Nurses Association implicated in the leakage and its cover-up; and the alleged involvement of scores of nursing schools and review centers in disseminating the leaked exam questions to their students.

There are worrisome signs that cheating has become systematized and a criminal syndicate in cahoots with government officials is on the loose.

Worse, the PRC, relying on the BON findings instead of creating an independent investigative body, initially denied any possibility of a leakage with the assertion that the examination system "has been so streamlined that leakages are now a thing of the past." When it could no longer sweep the problem under the rug it admitted the leakage and pinpointed responsibility to just two of its examiners.

Now the PRC appears to have taken the unprincipled tack of minimizing the impact of the leakage on the integrity of the examinations. ThePRC cited some statistical manipulations that they claim "solved" the problem and hastily administered the nursing oath to those they certified to have passed (until a court restraining order stopped the oath taking). They stood pat on the position that there was no need for a retake of the examinations by any of the examinees, includingthose who reviewed with the R.A.Gapuz Review Center (RAGRC), a center that witnesses claim distributed answers to exam questions the night before the June 11 board examinations. Not surprisingly, RAGRC now boasts of having bagged the 3rd to 10th place in the exams.

From news reports, the PRC even brought in supposedly well-placed labor recruiters who assured the examinees that they would still be eligible for placement in US hospitals despite the controversy surrounding their licensure exams. It appeared to be a calculated move to counter reports that local as well as foreign hospitals had indicated they would refuse to hire nurses from batch 2006.

Meanwhile Malacañang has chosen to uphold the PRC position hook, line and sinker. While vowing to go after those responsible for the leakage, it immediately exonerated the PRC itself of any responsibility and peremptorily declared that the nursing leakage was more of an exception rather than the rule. Mrs. Arroyo even praised PRC Chair Leonor Rosero, her personal dentist whose husband is a close friend and fellow Rotarian of the First Gentleman, for doing a great job. She also took the "no retake" position popular with the examinees in what seemed to be a classic GMA trick of pandering to the crowd when no major personal or political stakes are involved.

There is no indication that the Arroyo administration sees the current brouhaha as a reason, or even an occasion, to seriously study what ails the nursing sector. Consider that nurses (as well as doctors-turned- nurses) continue to be one of our top exports as a labor exporting country .

The alarm has been raised by the World Health Organization that the Philippines faces the prospect of a major crisis in its health care system with the exodus of health personnel for more lucrative jobs abroad.

Is it so difficult to see that the scandalous extent and circumstances of the recent board exam leakage is in direct proportion to the degree of commercialization of nursing education as exemplified by the proliferation of sub-standard nursing schools churning out unqualified, if not incompetent, graduates? Shall we be content with merely calling for better regulation by the PRC and by the Commission on Higher Education?

Shall we not examine what fuels this soaring demand for a nursing diploma and license to practice the nursing profession that provides fertile ground for all sorts of corrupt scams victimizing students, their parents and future patients at that?

Certainly it is not a sudden surge of humanitarianism, of people wanting to care for the sick and infirm. On purely economic terms, the demand is fed by the desire to go abroad and earn a decent income that can provide a comfortable life and a secure future for one's family.

Such a modest, middle class dream is no longer possible for the vast majority in the Philippine setting. What everybody seems to know is that the passport out of the Philippine Rut into the American Dream is indeed that nursing license.

Rather than address the endemic problem of unemployment and underemployment, successive governments from Marcos to the present have pursued a short-sighted policy of exporting labor. From a stop-gap measure, the export of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) has evolved to become the major dollar-earner and life-saver of a chronically floundering economy with roughly eight million OFWs, a tenth of the population, remitting US $10 Billion last year.

Thus the demand for nurses in the US and UK has become the main driving force shaping the development of nursing education and the profession today. Not the needs and requirements of a highly underserved people in the throes of hunger, malnutrition and preventable diseases.

When government cannot see beyond dollar remittances and will do anything and everything to keep them coming, it will turn a blind eye to the deepening crisis of the Philippine health care system; it will paper over the festering problems in nursing education and the nursing profession that the recent leakage scandal has so glaringly exposed.

With provincial and even major urban hospitals scrambling to stay open despite the steady loss of its doctors and nurses, the future is bleak while government policies remaining unchanged.

Needless to say, the long and short of it is that the majority of our people end up, once more, on the losing end.#

Please email comments to carol_araullo@ yahoo.com.