Slideshow: 41 Years of People’s War
Year: 2009
Labor in 2009: Joblessness, Rights Violations, Violence Confronted Filipino Workers
By MARYA SALAMAT
The year 2009 began, ended and paved the way to 2010 with the festering problem of joblessness for millions of Filipinos. The global financial crisis only revealed the stark reality of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s inherently flawed job-generation strategies. The Arroyo regime fell short of its employment target. Worse, thousands of jobs, especially in the export industry, were “massacred” in 2009 even as unionists faced violence, intimidation and murder.
Labor Migration in 2009: A Terrible Year to Be an OFW
By JANESS ANN J. ELLAO
The regime of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo changed the face of labor migration in the Philippines. It pursued its labor-export policy aggressively, begging receiving countries to accept more overseas Filipino workers. In the meantime, it shirked its responsibilities toward OFWs in distress, in many instances even becoming complicit in the abuse of overseas workers.
Politics in 2009: Arroyo Regime Brought Philippines Deeper Into Crisis
By BENJIE OLIVEROS
While it would take more than a change in president to effectively address the worsening economic and political crisis, if Arroyo and her minions are able to get away with keeping themselves in power — by declaring a failure of elections, martial law, or charter change — the Filipino people would sink faster and deeper into the quagmire of backwardness and poverty.
Pagsagap ng Hininga sa Gitna ng Delubyo
Gayong ang aral ng kasaysayan ng kasalukuyan ay ang pagkakaroon ng politikal na paninindigang mabuhay nang marangal, patuloy na paniningil sa sistema na ipaglaban ito, patuloy na pag-oorganisa, pagtaas ng kamulatan at pagkilos.
Slideshow: Mayon Displaces Bicol Folk
Street Shooter: Colored
Colored
Photo of the Week: And You Thought Your Christmas Was Bad
And You Thought Your Christmas Was Bad
News in Pictures: International Migrants Day Marked with Protest and Calls for Repatriation of Stranded OFWs
Hundreds of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) on Friday marched to Mendiola Bridge to demand that the Arroyo government exhort all efforts to reunite more than 300 stranded OFWs with their families this Christmas season. Families of stranded OFWs, together with OFWs from the Middle East, Italy, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Australia held the…
Mangudadatu: ‘Ampatuans Made Business Out of Elections’
By ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
In this Q&A, Esmael Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan town, Maguindanao, talks about the Ampatuan massacre and how the Ampatuans ruled the province. “They made business out of the votes. They extorted money out of the senatorial candidates who were campaigning in Maguindanao by selling votes to them,” he said. He also wished that there would be no whitewash in the case against them.
Solons, Drivers Ask SC to Void Anomalous RFID Project
By MARYA SALAMAT
Progressive solons and the members of Piston have asked the Supreme Court to declare as “unconstitutional and illegal” the Land Transportation Office’s controversial radio frequency identification (RFID) project. They also asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order and/or preliminary injunction to prevent the project’s full implementation come January 10, 2010.