MANGGAGAWA LABAN SA DIKTADURA, KORAPSYON AT DINASTIYA!

 

Sa bisperas ng paggunita sa ika-54 na anibersaryo ng deklarasyon ng Martial Law, lalahok ang Partido Manggagawa (PM) sa Lakbay Pananagutan ng People’s Assembly sa ibat-ibang institusyon tulad ng Batasan, Korte Suprema, at Edsa Shrine ngayong Setyembre 20 upang igiit na ang laban kontra diktadura ay hindi lamang pag-alala sa nakaraan—ito ay laban din sa mga anyo ng pang-aabuso sa kapangyarihan na nararanasan ng manggagawa sa kasalukuyan.

 

“Manggagawa laban sa diktadura, korapsyon at dinastiya!” ang paninindigan at panawagan ng PM.

 

“Ang Martial Law ay hindi dapat maging simpleng history lesson na inaalala tuwing Setyembre. Para sa manggagawa, may malinaw itong aral: kapag concentrated ang political at economic power sa iilan at mahina ang democratic institutions at organized labor, madaling maabuso ang kapangyarihan,” pahayag ni PM Chairperson Renato Magtubo.

 

Kasabay nito, bibigyang-diin ng PM sa Lakbay Pananagutan ang dalawang partikular na panawagan: “Trabahong endo at mababang sweldo ay diktadura sa manggagawa!” at “Paghadlang sa unyonismo, diktadura sa manggagawa!”

 

Ayon sa grupo, ginagamit nito ang salitang “diktadura” sa mga panawagang ito upang idiin ang kawalan ng tunay na bargaining power ng maraming manggagawa kapag insecure ang trabaho, kulang ang sahod, at nahahadlangan ang kanilang karapatang mag-organisa.

 

“Demokrasya cannot stop at the ballot box. Dapat may demokrasya rin sa workplace. Kung takot kang mawalan ng trabaho dahil contractual ka, kung kulang ang sweldo para mabuhay nang disente, o kung ang pag-uunyon ay sinasagkaan, napakaliit ng kapangyarihan ng manggagawa sa mga desisyong direktang nakakaapekto sa kanyang buhay,” ani Magtubo.

 

Para sa PM, magkaugnay ang laban kontra political dynasties at korapsyon at ang pagsusulong ng workers’ rights. Kapwa nakasentro ang mga usaping ito sa tanong kung sino ang may kapangyarihan, sino ang may boses, at sino ang nananagot.

 

“Never Again should therefore mean more than never again to Martial Law. It should also mean never again to the concentration and abuse of power, never again to attacks on democratic rights, and never again to a system where workers remain powerless despite creating the country’s wealth,” dagdag ni Magtubo.

 

Sa paggunita ng Setyembre 21, nananawagan ang PM na gawing buhay na bahagi ng pagtatanggol sa demokrasya ang regular at disenteng trabaho, living wage, malayang pag-uunyon at collective bargaining, pananagutan sa korapsyon, at mas malawak na partisipasyon ng mamamayan sa pamamahala.

 

“54 years after Martial Law, malinaw ang hamon: huwag hayaang bumalik ang awtoritaryanismo sa pulitika—at huwag hayaang manatili ang kawalan ng boses at kapangyarihan ng manggagawa sa lugar-paggawa. Manggagawa laban sa diktadura, korapsyon at dinastiya!”

PRESS RELEASE

20 September 2026

 

PM on DOLE’s secret and historic rollback of P85 wage hike

Wage Order No. 28, issued and published by the National Wages and Productivity Commission’s NCR Regional Wage Board today, created more wage confusion rather than hope, the Partido Manggagawa (PM) stated in response. 

 

“Ngayon ay mas maraming dapat ipaliwanag ang nagtatagong Labor Secretary. Ang Wage Order 28 ay historic rollback mula P85 – P60, Sec. Tolentino. Bukod pa sa ito ay sikretong desisyon ng regional wage board na hindi kasali ang manggagawa,” said PM Chairperson Renato Magtubo.

 

Magtubo said the new wage order shames Tolentino to the max as there was no judicious explanation for his retreat other than his kaduwagan (cowardice) against Judge Manongsong.

 

“Nakakahiya dahil nabahag ang buntot ni Tolentino sa harap ni Manongsong kahit napakatibay ng ligal na basehan na dapat ipatupad ng DOLE ang Wage Order 27 sa ilalim ng Labor Code at RA 6727, bukod pa sa nabigo din ang RII Builders at Readycon na mag-post ng P10-B bond para para maging effective ang injunction,” explained the PM leader. 

 

The group likewise insinuated that WO 28 is Malacañang’s compromise position with employers as the Labor Secretary acts only in accordance with the position of his boss, President Marcos, Jr. 

 

The result of this cowardice and compromised executive position: “Nadagdagan ang order, pero nabawasan ang wage.” 

 

It is also historic for NCR to get two wage orders, said Magtubo. “Dalawang wage orders na sa NCR, habang ang mga manggagawa sa ibang regions ay nganga at naghihintay sa wala.”

 

For PM, this is not simply a question of whether P60 or P85 is enough. The bigger problem is the system itself.

 

“Ang presyo ng mga produkto ay deregulated, diretso sa merkado sa lahat ng panig ng bansa. Pero ang sweldo, hindi aplikable sa lahat ng rehiyon at pwede pang pakialaman ng Judge,” said Magtubo. 

 

PM called for a comprehensive reform of the wage-setting system toward a mechanism that guarantees regular, timely and substantial wage increases; progressively eliminates unjustifiable regional wage gaps; and moves toward a national minimum wage based on genuine living wage standards.

 

PRESS RELEASE

Partido Manggagawa

11 September 2026

 

PM TO NWPC: NADAGDAGAN ANG WAGE ORDER, NABAWASAN ANG WAGE—BAGUHIN ANG SISTEMA NG PASAHOD!

As the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) meets today at the Manila Hotel, Partido Manggagawa (PM) challenged the commission and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to confront the glaring failures of the country’s regional wage-setting system.

 

“Wage Orders 27 and 28: nadagdagan ang order, pero nabawasan ang wage. Mula P85, naging P60. Hindi rin malinaw kung tuluyan nang nabura sa kasaysayan ang ‘historic’ na Wage Order ni Tolentino,” said PM Chairperson Renato Magtubo.

 

It is also historic for NCR to get two wage orders. “Dalawang wage orders na sa NCR, habang ang mga manggagawa sa ibang regions ay nganga at naghihintay,” Magtubo added.

 

For PM, this is not simply a question of whether P60 or P85 is enough. The bigger problem is the system itself.

 

The regional wage-setting mechanism, the labor leader pointed out, has produced a patchwork of different minimum wages and different schedules of wage adjustments across the country. Workers face rising prices everywhere, yet their wages depend heavily on where they work and when their regional wage board decides to act.

 

“Hindi regional ang gutom. Hindi regional ang pagtaas ng presyo ng pagkain, kuryente, pamasahe at iba pang pangunahing pangangailangan. Bakit regional at watak-watak ang pagtaas ng sahod?” Magtubo asked.

 

PM said the NWPC should use today’s meeting not simply to manage the confusion created by the issuance of two separate wage orders, but to begin reforming the system itself.

 

More importantly, DOLE should lobby Congress for a legislated wage hike instead of relying solely on another round of fragmented regional wage orders. It should also support pending proposals in Congress to amend the wage-setting law and establish a national minimum wage.

 

“Kung aminado ang gobyerno na kailangang habulin ng sahod ang patuloy na pagtaas ng gastos ng mga manggagawa, dapat suportahan ng DOLE ang legislated wage hike. At kung malinaw nang lumilikha ng hindi makatwirang agwat at pagkaantala ang regional wage system, panahon nang suportahan nito ang national minimum wage,” Magtubo said.

 

PM called for a comprehensive reform of the wage-setting system toward a mechanism that guarantees regular, timely and substantial wage increases; progressively eliminates unjustifiable regional wage gaps; and moves minimum wages toward a genuine living wage.

 

PM also warned against treating successive wage orders as proof that the present system is working.

 

“Kung nadagdagan ang wage order pero lumiit naman ang wage increase, hindi ito resolusyon sa problema. At kung dalawang wage orders na sa NCR habang naghihintay pa rin ang ibang rehiyon, malinaw na may problema talaga ang buong sistema,” Magtubo said.

 

The issue before the NWPC today should therefore go beyond the amount of the next wage increase.

 

The group said a fragmented and unequal regional wage-setting system should not be allowed to continue; thus, the government should support a legislated wage hike and a national minimum wage for Filipino workers. 

Partido Manggagawa

10 September 2026

Workers Still Fighting for Kalayaan and Kaginhawahan Dream of the 1896 Revolution

As the country commemorates National Heroes Day, Partido Manggagawa (PM) called on the unsung heroes, the working class, to continue fighting for the unfinished dream of freedom and prosperity (Kalayaan and Kaginhawahan) envisioned by the heroes of the 1896 Revolution. 

 

This Katipunan dream, the group said, remains out of reach for millions of workers facing poverty, insecure jobs, and repression of their right to organize. Workers may relish the holidays and long weekends remembering our heroes, but living a life of dignity and prosperity is what truly matters when evaluating the outcome of the Philippine revolution.

 

“Hindi sapat ang pag-aalay ng bulaklak sa mga bayani ng nakaraan. Ang tunay na pagpupugay sa kanila ay ang pagtiyak na nararanasan na ngayon ng mga manggagawa ang kalayaan at kaginhawaang ipinangarap nila,” said Partido Manggagawa Chair Renato Magtubo.

 

More than a century after the Revolution, a large part of the working class remains mired in poverty. Wages remain low, contractualization and other forms of precarious work are widespread, and workers’ rights to organize and form unions continue to be suppressed.

 

Partido Manggagawa said the country’s freedom remains hollow if its only choice is which foreign power to support.

 

“Malaya nga ba ang bayan kung ang direksiyon ng ating ekonomiya at pulitika ay patuloy na itinatakda ng mga dayuhang interes at lokal na naghaharing uri?” Magtubo asked.

 

Magtubo also stressed that political and economic power in the country has merely changed hands. Politics once dominated by the ilustrados is now controlled by corrupt dynasties, while an economy once controlled by hacienderos and the principalia has been transferred to large capitalists who control a substantial share of the country’s wealth and livelihood.

 

“Hindi nagbago ang batayang kaayusan: iilan ang naghahari, habang milyon-milyon ang lumilikha ng yaman ngunit hindi nakikinabang dito,” said Magtubo.

 

The group also noted that heroes of the past used pen names to evade colonial repression and continue the struggle. Today, it said, genuine heroes do not need aliases to fight for the country.

 

“Kung ginagamit ang alias upang pagtakpan ang pagnanakaw, at inuutusan pa ang mga tauhan na gawin ito, hindi iyon asal-bayani. Asal-aristokrata iyan - at ang ganitong uri ng pamumuno ay walang lugar sa isang demokratikong republika,” PM added.

 

For the group, the new heroes of the present are workers who create wealth every day; those who organize and fight despite repression; and those who dare to envision change beyond the current system ruled by dynasties and exploitative capitalists.

 

“Hindi natapos ang diwa ng 1896 sa pagpapalit ng watawat. Ang tunay na kalayaan ay kalayaan mula sa kahirapan, pagsasamantala at paghahari ng iilan,” stressed Magtubo.

 

The group called on workers, the youth, and other sectors to strengthen unity and organized action for meaningful social change.

 

“Manggagawa ang mga bagong bayani. Panahon nang ang mga lumilikha ng yaman ang magkaroon ng kapangyarihang baguhin ang bayan,” Partido Manggagawa concluded.

Partido Manggagawa

31 August 2026

  

PSA’s 9.7% Poverty Figure Masks the Real Wage Crisis: Prosperous on Paper, Poor in Reality - Partido Manggagawa

Partido Manggagawa welcomes any genuine reduction in poverty, but the government’s celebration of a “single-digit” 9.7% poverty rate for 2025 cannot be separated from the reality millions of Filipino workers are still living: prosperous on paper, poor in reality.

 

The PSA’s own poverty threshold — P14,634 a month for a family of five — is the problem. A worker earning barely above this line is instantly reclassified as “non-poor,” even while unable to afford decent housing, transportation, healthcare, or education. This is not poverty alleviation. This is poverty redefinition.

 

And by the government’s own numbers, most regional wage boards can’t even clear that low bar. NWPC’s own summary of current wage orders, as of August 5, 2026, shows minimum wages in nearly every region outside Metro Manila falling below PSA’s national poverty threshold — even when converted to a full month’s pay for a single worker with no dependents to share the burden. 

 

In BARMM, the country’s lowest-paid region, the daily minimum wage of P411 to P436 translates to just P10,686 to P11,336 a month — up to 27% below what the government itself says a family of five needs to escape poverty. 

 

Workers in Region XII, Zamboanga Peninsula, Eastern Visayas, and Caraga fare little better, all logging wages 15-18% below the poverty line. Even Western Visayas and Davao, mid-tier regions, fall short.

 

And these are the legal minimums — the floor, not the reality for every worker. Contractualization, informal employment, and outright non-compliance mean many Filipino workers take home even less than what these wage orders mandate. 

 

Worse, even the poverty threshold itself is a low bar. IBON Foundation estimates the actual family living wage nationwide at roughly P1,305 a day, or about P28,380 a month — nearly double the government’s poverty line. By that measure, no region in the country, including NCR, pays its workers enough to live decently, only to avoid being counted as poor.

 

This is the regional wage board system working exactly as designed — and exactly as broken. Regional wage fixing under Republic Act 6727, the Wage Rationalization Act of 1989, is 37 years old this year. Nearly four decades in, the system has produced not living wages but a hierarchy of poverty wages, with entire regions officially condemned to earn less than what the government itself defines as the poverty line.

 

DEPDev Secretary Balisacan credits nominal income gains outpacing inflation for the national poverty improvement. But that national figure hides a harder truth: region after region, the minimum wage itself is a poverty wage, set by boards operating under a 37-year-old law that was never designed to keep pace with the real cost of living.

 

This is precisely why the fight over Wage Order NCR-27 matters now more than ever. While the government spins record-low poverty numbers, the Pasig RTC injunction continues to block a wage increase that workers in Metro Manila desperately need. If workers in the capital region are under siege, imagine the regions already left behind.

 

Partido Manggagawa reiterates its call: 

- Lift the injunction on Wage Order NCR-27. 

- Abolish the regional wage board system. Legislate a national minimum wage indexed to the actual cost of living.                                     

 

Numbers on a PSA table mean nothing to a mother deciding between rice and rent — whether in Metro Manila or in BARMM.

 

PRESS RELEASE

22 August 2026