Round Table Discussion on BPO Workers Rights and Welfare

Nasaan ang Pagbabago?

1) Patuloy pa rin ang pagpaslang. Labing apat ang pinaslang simula ng maupo si Noynoy.
2) Nananatiling mababa ang sahod ng mga manggagawa.
3) Kinaltasan ang badyet sa edukasyon.
4) Hindi pa rin nakakasuhan si Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
5) Ang matuwid na daan kuno laban sa korupsyon at tiwali sa gobyerno ay nanatiling pulos lip service at papogi naman.
6) Ang mga magsasaka ay wala pa ring lupa.

Yan ay ilan lamang sa ilang tampok na usapin. Nasaan ang pagbabago?

Climate Change, Displacement, Government Priorities and the 2011 Budget

My blog entry for 10/10/10 Blog Action Day on Climate Change

Climate change is probably one of the many worldwide concerns that every government is trying to address. Last year, Republic Act 9729 or Climate Change Act of 2009 was enacted into law.

While it may be true that serious and concrete actions have to be taken in order to address this phenomenon, let us check further how serious the government is in addressing this very serious concern.

This year, under the new administration of Noynoy Aquino, funds specifically intended to addressing climate change has been one of the highlights of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2011.

For instance, the National Climate Change Commission has an appropriation of P38 million pesos while the Department of Interior and Local Government was given P 40 million under its local project, Enhancing LGU Capacity on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Framework.

With huge amounts being appropriated to government projects that aim to pre-empt and address the ill-effects of climate change, do we expect the government to be more effective in dealing with climate change related disasters? Do we expect the government to be more competent in dealing with disasters like typhoons Pepeng and Ondoy that left thousands of people's lives and homes wrecked and decimated?

If the government is dead serious about presenting solutions to the ill-effects of climate change, concrete actions should be taken.

First off, big businesses that seriously cause damage to our environment should be stopped such as illegal logging and large scale mining. Large scale mining has not only caused landslides and pollution. It has systematically displaced many families living in mineral-rich areas. Take the case of Mt. Diwalwal.

So long as big foreign businesses and investors scourge the country's natural resources, the country will forever be vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

We cannot expect a government funded by big businesses to protect its people from the harmful effects of climate change. Programs and projects that supposedly address such concerns will be a staple to every president's budget but offers no concrete and long term solutions to climate change.#

Call for Support for HB 2592

Round Table Discussion on Call Center Bill

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino is scheduled to meet with call center agents in a round-table discussion on the 13th of October at Gelatissimo, Greenbelt 5, Makati City. The round-table discussion is the first in a series of consultations the young blogger-turned-Congressman is set to hold as part of its campaign to solicit popular support for House Bill 2592. According to Rep. Palatino, the bill called “BPO Workers Welfare & Protection Act,” sought 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. As Rep. Palatino aptly puts,

"Hundreds of thousands of Filipinos are working in the BPO industry. In the absence of genuine national industries, we praise this industry for the apparent and immediate employment opportunities it grants many of our people. Is it too much to ask that we ensure the rights and welfare of those who have chosen to rely on this so-called 'sunshine industry'?"

If you are for the protection of the rights and welfare of call center agents, pass this message to your call center friends. Let us work together for the immediate passage of this bill. Contact us at kabataanpartylist@gmail.com To pledge your support for the bill, click this link. (See full text of the bill here). Related Posts: House Bill 2592: A bill for the protection of the rights and welfare of BPO workers Call Center Bill: Understanding Its Salient Provisions

Captured Moments, Reps in Action During Budget Hearings

For the past weeks, there were a couple of events that happened both in and outside Congress–budget troopings of youth leaders, protest action led by NUSP at the budget hearing of the National Defense, signature campaign initiated by Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino, Representatives voicing their collective opposition to budget cuts to State Universities and Colleges in a press conference, giant manifesto signing of Reps opposed to budget cuts and a big youth and students walk-out.

Below are some photos captured during the ongoing budget hearings in Congress.








Photos taken by Fred Dabu of the Office of Rep. Antonio Tinio

Burning of Pnoy's Effigy, a First in His Term

On September 24, 2010, thousands of youth and students trooped to the streets to protest the impending budget cuts on State Universities and Colleges.

The budget for SUCs for 2011 has been slashed by 1.7 percent, from P23.8 billion in 2010 to only P23.4 billion.

The burning of Noynoy's effigy was the first to be done under his term.##

Photo courtesy of Victor Villanueva.