Cement industry workers seek protection

"Please don’t kill us."

This was the collective appeal hundreds of cement industry workers made to congressmen yesterday as the House trade and industry committee opened an inquiry into the unabated dumping here of imported cement.

A part of the workers’ delegation trooped to the room where the committee held a hearing, while a big part picketed the main entrance to the Batasan complex.

Samuel Eslava, secretary general of the Philippine Cement Workers Council, said a total of 50,000 workers directly and indirectly dependent on the industry will lose their jobs if the government continues to allow the dumping here of imported cement.

Already, 4,000 workers have been laid off due to plant closures or production cutbacks, he said.

The workers also denounced the chairman of the trade and industry committee, Rep. Harry Angping (NPC, Manila), for refusing to inhibit himself from the inquiry.

They said Angping’s family owned Peaksun Enterprises and Export Corp., which is into cement importation and distribution.

But the Manila solon denied their company is importing cement.

"We are only in the distribution business, and we are distributing both local and imported cement," he said.

Eslava said the inquiry and its results will be suspect if Angping continues to preside over the investigation.

Congressmen from cement-producing provinces have taken up the workers’ cause since many of them are their constituents. The workers have also found allies in some party-list solons.

Party-list Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales of Akbayan said the unmitigated dumping here of foreign cement is benefiting only "nine lucky importers."

She said these "hole-in-the-wall" cement import firms, despite cornering 35 percent of the market, pay only small sums in taxes and employ few workers.

"The biggest among the nine, TCC Cement Corp., employs only seven workers. Westpoint Industrial Sales Co., of Paco, Manila, has a workforce of 13. Cohaco Trading, which holds office in San Juan, Metro Manila, has 20 employees, and V and C Management and Development Corp. of Mandaue City has 25," she said.

Ranged against them are thousands who stand to lose their jobs if the local cement industry is not protected, she added.

Rosales pointed out that industry investments amounting to P78 billion would be wasted if the Lucky 9 are allowed to continue bringing in cheap foreign cement.

The party-list solon and Rep. Del de Guzman of Marikina urged Trade and Industry Secretary Mar Roxas to take measures under the Republic Act 8800, otherwise known as the Safeguard Measures Act, to protect the cement industry.

De Guzman said the law allows Roxas to impose a 50 percent tariff on imported cement. That should put importers and local producers on an equal footing, he said.