Militant labor group Partido Manggagawa (PM) asserted that only the logo has changed as President Bong Bong Marcos is set to deliver his second State of the Nation today.
“Walang bago sa Pilipinas. Logo lang ang nagbago. All the social problems—poverty, inequality, low wages, high prices, unemployment and insecure jobs—remain unresolved and without any clear solutions under this administration,” stated Mario Andon, spokesperson of the Iloilo chapter of PM.
PM is joining other workers organizations for the counter-SONA rally today in Iloilo city under the coalition United Labor.
Wage hike is among the key demands of PM for the SONA. A petition for a P100 minimum salary increase was filed by unions under the United Labor and the Western Visayas regional wage board is currently conducting hearings.
In Metro Manila, hundreds of PM members will join other workers organizations under the Nagkaisa labor coalition in assembling around 9:00 am today at Philcoa.
By 11:00 am, the group will merge with more labor groups and other civil society organizations along Commonwealth Avenue and in front of the Commission on Human Rights. They will march to Tandang Sora where the People’s SONA will have a program from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm.
While in Metro Cebu, PM along with groups SENTRO and Akbayan will assemble in Plaza Independencia at 8:00 am today. Then they will march onto the Cebu City Freedom Park and finally merge with other organizations for the main program in Metro Colon.
Andon cited low wages and high prices, such as the cost of rice that remains double the promised P20 per kilo, as examples of the failures of the Marcos Jr. administration, along with the.
He insisted that “Dahil walang murang bigas at walang sapat na sahod, bigo ang Pilipinas sa pamumuno ni BBM.”
