KILUSANG Mayo Uno-Southern Mindanao Region (KMU-SMR) dismisses the statement of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) during a budget hearing in the Philippine Senate (5 September 2024) saying that a person is considered "employed" if they work for at least one hour daily.
That statement from the DOLE is an attempt to modify definitions in order to hide the reality that Filipino workers are in grim conditions since the regime of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed power in 2022. Furthermore, that statement proves the DOLE's detachment from the daily struggles of ordinary and poor Filipinos. Prices of basic commodities are becoming expensive, while wages remain low. Contractual work is still rampant. Jobs are scarce in some regions. In Davao Region, the daily minimum wage rate is pegged at P476 and P481 for agricultural and non-agricultural sectors respectively - a far cry from the P1,200 family living wage (FLW) recommended by independent think tanks and experts.
Instead of toying with statistics, the DOLE and Marcos Jr's regime should provide real and regular jobs in the country and decisively raise workers' wages to a living standard. No matter how hard the Philippine government try to use highfalutin language and mental gymnastics, Filipino workers can see through the facts and hold Marcos Jr. accountable for his actions or lack thereof.