Two days before the celebration of International Women's Day, 17 major women's organizations and federations gathered to express their stand against Charter change (Cha-cha) on Wednesday, March 6.
During a press conference held at a restaurant on United Nations Avenue in Manila, they urged the Marcos Jr. administration to address the eight-point women's agenda, instead of prioritizing the Cha-cha.
The women's agenda includes living wages, decent jobs and livelihoods, accessible quality public services, just transition amid the climate crisis, land for farmers, protection of rights, upholding sovereignty, and an end to violence and harassment.
Joanne Cesario, vice chairman of Kilusang Mayo Uno, said the women workers want a raise on the salary and make it a living wage.
“Ngayon buwan ng kababaihan, malaking hamon ang kinahaharap natin pagdating sa laban natin sa pagtataas ng sahod (As we are celebrating Women's Month, we are also facing a big challenge when it comes to our fight for salary increases),” she said.
Cesario said that the proposal for the salary increase for minimum wage earners was already passed in the Senate. However, she said the lawmakers seem to have disregarded it and focused on less important matters.
She added that wages in the country are already low, but the wages of female workers are much lower.
She said the female workers are being placed in low-paying jobs with below minimum wage.
“Sa 1987 Philippine Constitution natin nakasaad na karapatan ng lahat ng manggagawang Pilipino na matamasa ang living wage o nakabubuhay na sahod. Iyon and dapat ang inuuna at inaatupag, hindi ang pagbabago ng kunstitusyon, at hindi ang charter change na magdudulot lang lalo pang kahamakan sa mga kababaihang manggagawa (In the 1987 Philippine Constitution, it is stated that all Filipino workers have the right to enjoy a living wage. That should be prioritized and implemented, not the change of the constitution, and not the Charter change that will underrate more women workers),” Cesario said.
The group said women will gain nothing from Cha-cha, only destitution, undignified living and working conditions, and violence and repression.
“Sa mga krisis na ito, tiyak na hindi Charter change ang kasagutan dahil higit na palulubhain nito ang pandaramabong ng mga dayuhan sa rekurso at ekonomiya ng bansa, at tahasang palalawigin ang termino ng mga dinastiya sa gobyerno (In these crises, Charter change is definitely not the answer because it will further aggravate the looting of the country's resources and economy by foreigners, and will explicitly extend the term of dynasties in government)," the group stated.
To highlight their concerns, they conducted a demonstration wherein they held a placard shaped in female symbols with the written eight-point women's agenda.
The press conference were attended by Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women, Babae para sa Inang Bayan (Women for the Motherland or BIBA), Bai Indigenous Women's Network, BPO Industry Employees Network (BIEN), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (Solidarity of Filipino Workers or BMP), Diliman Women's Alliance (DIWA), Federation of Free Workers’ Women's Network (FFW), Gabriela Alliance of Filipino Women, Gabriela Women's Party, Gabriela Youth, Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan (Women's Workers’ Movement or KMK), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Kilos na Manggagawa (KNM), Oriang, Public Services Labor Independent Confederation (PSLINK), UP Diliman Student Council (UPS-USC), and Women Workers United (WWU).