House Bill 2592: A bill for the protection of the rights and welfare of BPO workers

The much awaited bill, House Bill No. 2592 or the "BPO Workers' Welfare and Protection Act of 2010, originally filed last 14th Congress, was refiled today by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino.

In his explanatory note, Rep. Palatino explained that the bill "seeks to assert the prescribed labor standards set forth in the Labor Code and institutionalize additional benefits that would hopefully address specific work-related problems and issues peculiar to the nature of BPO work.”

Citing numerous feedbacks received after the young legislator delivered a speech on the plight of BPO workers same month last year, a refined bill has been filed to address the growing problems that need serious and concrete measures in order to protect the welfare of thousands of BPO workers.

The refined and updated bill includes 1) mandatory regularization of all employees who have worked for at least six months in the company; 2) standardization of restroom breaks; 3) standardization of the medical check-up benefits for all workers; 4) right to organize and establish formations and unions; and 5) right to due process in administrative proceedings.

Let us support HB 2592!

Tell your call center friends, relatives, FB friends and Twitter followers that we need their support in order to pressure Congress to pass this bill. Write your district representatives; tell them that we want this bill passed this 15th Congress.

Read and download full text of the bill. Click here and here.

DEATH EATERS IN CONGRESS

Early this week, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino delivered a speech titled She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary, which captured media attention, bloggers and twitter followers alike. For one, the speech has an eye-catching title. “She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary” was easily associated with Harry Potter’s He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, of course, is the She-Who-Cannot and Lord Voldemort is the He-Who-Must-Not.

After the speech was delivered, not only did it appall neophyte congressmen present at that time, but captured the senses and creative minds of online followers and associated it with anything that’s Lord Voldemort. (GMA became the Lord Voldemort of Congress. Lord Voldemort, a witch espousing dark magic, was responsible for the death of Harry Potter’s parents. He is so evil that anyone who comes his way is mercilessly murdered.)

One comment read: The chamber is now called the Chamber of Secrets...where lies and deceptions are everywhere.. and any attempt to disclose things are being stifled...and freedom of information is being blocked by all means possible. (Jeffy Mendiola, Twitter).

But more than the association to anything that’s Harry Potter, Rep. Palatino delivered a strong message: that lawmakers should not be stopped from making a stand and speaking up about the accountabilities of GMA in the name of decorum, that speeches bearing the words, papanagutin, magnanakaw, mamamatay-tao, should not be omitted in desperate attempts not to offend a member of Congress.

There is now an alarming situation where even members of Congress, who may stand and deliver privilege speeches, are under threat of censorship.

With GMA’s allies deeply indebted to their 'Lord', defending her against any possible mention of her alleged crimes during her presidency, we expect more ‘censorship’ to happen.

What transpired on Aug. 3, after Rep. Teddy Casino’s speech was several times slapped with moves to omit words ‘offensive to a fellow member of Congress’ is likely to happen again as She-Who-Cannot-Be-Named-in-the-Plenary’s allies are now ready to yield their wands by slashing and censoring speeches “offensive” to their ‘Lord’.

Just like in Harry Potter where the long-feared war has begun and Voldemort’s Death Eaters seized control of the Ministry of Magic, Congress is now feared to be overtaken by GMA’s own 'death eaters.'

Let us keep a close watch. Let us be wary of the ‘Dark Magic.’

DELECTABLE MUSSELS

Diwal (angel wings), Capiznon for tounge, is a mussel with protruding meat that looks like, well, tounge or dila, hence its name diwal. Markets do not run out of their supply of diwal as it can be found abundantly in the town's coastal area.

The first time we tried it for lunch, it was just steamed with salt and pepper. For dinner, off we went to the nearest market and bought a kilo of diwal (a kilo costs P 70). We cooked it with butter and lots of garlic. Super yummy!!!

Try it when you get a chance to visit Western Visayas.#

ISLAND HOPPING IN WESTERN VISAYAS

I had a really fun and exciting backpacking trip with dear friends Ava, Vernie and Anna last June 4-8. It was a post-election vacation, with ticket booked in March (thanks to Cebu Pacific's cheapest rates, buy now/fly later promo).

We planned to hop Roxas City, Aklan and Antique.

Roxas was more than just the Seafood Capital of the Philippines. On our first day, we went to explore Tuwad Island, which was a 45 to 1 hour boat travel from Roxas City. Lunch was at nearby Baybay Island, where Olotayan Island can be seen from afar.

On day 2, we traveled by van to Caticlan & took the boat to Boracay. I've seen several beaches definitely clearer than that of Boracay's. The influx of tourists may have really contributed to what has become of Boracay now.

On our 2nd day in Boracay, we treated ourselves to the famous Deco's, which serve really sumptuous la paz batchoy (they also serve tapsilog and longsilog).

At around 11 am, we set off to Culasi (2-hour bus ride from Caticlan to Culasi). Upon arrival in Culasi, we had a quick lunch of baranggan fish and seaweed at Divs' house, and took a 15-minute boat trip to Malalison Island, the primary reason why we traveled all the way to Western Visayas – after seeing pictures of Malalison, courtesy of my friend and colleague Bikoy. We camped out along the shore; grilled baranggan fish and tried to catch meteorites fall down the sky. It was all worth the travel. Malalison is a small island in Antique with only 700 people. We were joined in the trip by the charming island barangay captain Allan Macuja, 2 tanods, and several young lads from Culasi.

Our 2nd day in Antique was spent at Tibiao for our fish spa session.(Tibiao, a small town in Antique, is home to 7-tiered falls named Bugtong Falls). We were pressed for time hence, the desire to take a peak at the famous falls did not take place.

We also discovered that Antique has the most number of bridges. On our way back to Culasi, I counted 7 bridges along the way. Haha!

June 7 in the afternoon, we traveled back to Kalibo to take a van to Roxas City.

June 8 was our last day in Roxas City. We started the day with an early morning trip to the market. I bought blue marlin and prawns. And yes, we won't forget our diwal (capiznon word meaning dila).

Still not getting enough of the 5-day trip with 3 provinces, 3 islands and lots of other extra ordinary experience, we set off to the nearby Pan-ay, still in Capiz, to get a glimpse of the biggest church bell in Asia at Sta.Monica Church. Whoa! The church has a really amazing facade. It can be likened to the church in Vigan (which was renovated and repainted, to my disappointment, as it lost its 'old character').

The trip was worth the 30-minute travel. We learned that the bell was made in 1870; was made out of 70 sacks of coins; echo can reach up to 8 kilometers.


Our flight was delayed by 2 hours so we went to Baybay Beach again and had lunch of shrimp, grilled squid and liempo.

We promise to go back to Roxas and Antique. There's still a lot to discover. Falls. Virgin Islands. Seafood. Different kinds of clams we haven't tasted yet.

THE TRUTH ABOUT NOYNOY AND HIS FAILURE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE ON HACIENDA LUISITA

Noynoy's Luisita from Bulatlat on Vimeo.

A COVENANT WITH THE YOUTH

This morning, national youth organizations signed with carefully selected candidates for May 2010 elections, 'a covenant with the youth, a promise of change'.

The National Union of Students of the Philippines, College Editor's Guild of the Philippines, League of Filipino Students, Anakbayan, Student Christian Movement of the Philippines and Kabataang Artista para sa Tunay na Kalayaan, along with its thousands of chapters, formations and members nationwide unanimously endorsed Kabataan Partylist led by its first nominee Rep. Raymond “Mong” Palatino. Rep. Mong formerly led the National Union of Students in 2001.

The nine (9) senatorial candidates are Makabayan candidates Rep. Satur Ocampo, Rep. Liza Maza, Atty. Adel Tamano, Gilbert Remulla, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Atty. Gwen Pimentel, Justice Bello, Apolinario “Jun” Lozada, Rep. Rodolfo “Ruffy” Biazon.

The signing of covenant formalizes the candidates' agreement to the eight-point Education Agenda, which are as follows:

1. Increase state spending to six percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP);
2. Ensure free and accessible education at all levels and expand educational services;
3. Promote a nationalist curriculum;
4. Uphold the democratic rights of students;
5. Improve teachers’ welfare;
6. Improve science, research and technology development;
7. Promote transparency in education programs; and
8. Review existing policies and institutions of education.

The forging of unity on the basis of platform and agenda is a clear commitment of the above candidates to stand by the youth's issues and struggles even beyond May 2010.

Lady Gaga sings for Kabataan Partylist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIkKk9Dk1PY