Militant groups and labor organizations rallied in Metro Manila on Labor Day, May 1, and urged the national government to certify the proposed P200 wage hike bill as urgent.

The House of Representatives has already approved on second reading House Bill No. 11376, a measure requiring all private sector employers, regardless of size, to provide workers with a P200 daily wage increase.

Members of the National Wage Coalition (NWC), which consists of the biggest labor groups in the country including Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), marched along España Boulevard going to Mendiola to stage their protests.

However, the police were already deployed along Recto Avenue to stop them from coming near Mendiola.

The Manila Police District (MPD) closed down some roads in Manila to motorists in anticipation of the Labor Day protests by progressive groups and labor organizations.

Authorities said the corner of Figueroa Street going to Mendiola has been closed to traffic as part of the efforts in preventing protesters that will be coming from España Boulevard and Liwasang Bonifacio to come near the area of Mendiola.

Both directions of Recto Avenue were also closed to motorists due to demonstrations by militant groups.

Only Figueroa Street is open as an alternative route for vehicles coming from Legarda Street going to Lacson Avenue in España.

P200 wage hike

Aside from the NWC, Akbayan Partylist also joined SENTRO, one of the country’s largest labor centers, in a rally in Manila.

Akbayan marched together with hundreds of Cheldren, youth volunteers of the party-list and Atty. Chel Diokno, Akbayan’s first nominee.

Diokno joined the Labor Day rally in Batangas City with the Philippine Metalworkers Alliance (PMA) where he underscored the need to match economic ambition with fairness for those who built it from the ground up.

"Naninindigan tayong isabatas ang 200-peso wage hike sa lalong madaling panahon dahil ang huling legislated wage hike ay noon pang 1989. Panahon na para pagaanin ang buhay ng ating manggagawa sa pamamagitan ng wage hike na ito. Huwag na natin silang pag-antayin pa (We call on the national government to enact into law the P200 wage hike as soon as possible because the last legislated wage hike was in 1989. It's time to ease the lives of our workers through this wage hike. Let's not keep them waiting any longer)," Diokno said.

For his part, Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña noted the disconnect between the administration's ambition to achieve upper-middle income status by 2027 and the persistent low-income conditions faced by Filipino workers.

“A meaningful wage hike is not just good economics, it’s smart politics. Kung gusto ng gobyerno ng mataas na approval rating mula sa mga manggagawa, ibigay nila ang matagal nang hiling ng mga unyon. Nothing earns public trust more than addressing everyday hardships (If the government wants a high approval rating from workers, they should grant the unions' long-standing request. Nothing earns public trust more than addressing everyday hardships)," Cendaña said.

“If Malacañang wants to stay cool in the eyes of Filipino workers, it’s time to turn up the heat on poverty wages. Umulan man o umaraw, matagal na nating panawagan na tapusin ang labor contractualization at isulong ang Security of Tenure Law. Sana, ito na ang huling summer na isisigaw namin ‘yan sa kalsada—para next year, victory rally na (“If Malacañang wants to stay cool in the eyes of Filipino workers, it’s time to turn up the heat on poverty wages. Rain or shine, we have long called for an end to labor contractualization and the advancement of the Security of Tenure Law. Hopefully, this will be the last summer we shout that on the streets—so that next year, it will be a victory rally instead)," he added.

Cendaña has also filed House Bill No. 11007 or the “Anti-ENDO Law,” which seeks to finally regularize workers, guarantee their benefits, and put an end to the decades-long job insecurity problem that has plagued the labor force.

EPD deployment

The Eastern Police District (EPD) has deployed a total of 1,679 of its personnel to guarantee the safety and security of the community during the celebration of Labor Day on Thursday, May 1.

EPD OIC Brig. Gen. Aden Lagradante said the force has also sent 100 EPD officers to augment the Manila Police District, 203 will be on Standby Civil Disturbance Management personnel, and 104 will serve as the Reactionary Standby Support Force ready to be deployed if the need arises.

Other EPD personnel have already been positioned under the EDSA-Ortigas Flyover.

Lagradante also directed the men and women of Pasig, Mandaluyong, Marikina and San Juan City Police Stations to conduct aggressive information drives on the modus operandi of criminals in their respective areas of responsibilities in order to raise public awareness and prevent the occurrence of crimes amid the event.

He also reminded them to intensify their Simultaneous Anti-Criminality Law Enforcement (SACLEO) to prevent crimes in their jurisdictions especially at night.