MANILA, Philippines — Presidential candidate and Sen. Manny Pacquiao said he will put an end to labor contractualization and raise the salary rate of workers in the country if he wins in the May elections.
“Tapusin natin ang contractualization para guminhawa naman ‘yung ating manggagawa,” Pacquiao said in an interview aired Tuesday on One PH’s “KandidaTalks.”
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(Let’s end contractualization so the workers’ lives will get better.)
In 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte vetoed a proposed legislation seeking to ensure job security or the “End Endo” bill. “Endo”—a term for “end of contract”—is an abusive labor practice where a worker is hired up to five months to skirt a labor law granting permanent tenure on the sixth month of service.
The practice leaves many Filipino workers unprotected and without benefits.
Rhoda Caliwara, national president of the Philippine Association of Legitimate Service Contractors, asked Pacquiao which is more important now: job generation or security of tenure?
“Pwede namang magkapag-create ng trabaho na may security ang ating manggagawa basta alalayan lang ng ating gobyerno,” Pacquiao said.
(We can create jobs with security for our workers as long as there is government support.)
The standard bearer of PROMDI also said he will push for an “across the board” salary standardization scheme to address the disparity in wages between employees in urban areas and those working in the countryside.
He added he will provide incentives for businesses that will open in the provinces if elected. — Gaea Katreena Cabico