On the issue of strengthening the domestic industry to ensure local job creation, Aquino’s plan is a bit broad, saying he plans to “harness homegrown talents” for economic growth. Meanwhile, Gordon’s plan does not veer much from the past administrations’ strategy, saying he plans to turn Luzon into an investment hub with industries relocation, infrastructure building, seaports, airports and super-highways. He also plans to turn Visayas and Mindanao into tourism, agriculture and aquaculture centers. Former president Joseph ‘Erap’ Estrada, meanwhile, believes that economic growth should be spurred by strengthening the domestic economy especially in the field of agriculture.

Delos Reyes plans to generate jobs by allowing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), including cooperatives, to thrive without corruption and with tax exemptions for small businesses.

Villar’s platform particularly states that the key to economic growth, aside from agricultural development, is the promotion of a viable manufacturing sector. He says that government must fully support the development of local industries, including SMEs, through subsidies and tax relief for Filipino industrialists.

On the other hand, the prospect for strengthening the domestic economy dims in Teodoro’s plan to allow foreigners to fully own lands for commercial and industrial purposes. Also instead of building the domestic industry with local resources and capacity, Teodoro’s vision is similar to those of past administrations that highly relied on attracting foreign investments.

Weak track records

In terms of promoting workers’ interests, the track record so far of Delos Reyes, Teodoro and Villanueva are lacking. Meanwhile, the track record of the rest of the candidates serves as a better gauge of how genuine their support for labor is compared to their promises.

As senator, Noynoy Aquino authored the Productivity Incentives Act that grants annual productivity incentives to all private sector workers and increases penalties for non-compliance to “prescribed increases and adjustments in the wage rates of workers.” However, all of Aquino’s positive written and spoken notes on jobs and wages are offset by his long-time tolerance of unfair labor practice and unjust workers’ wages as part owner of Hacienda Luisita. He has also not expressed explicit support for a P125 across-the-board wage increase.

Under the Estrada presidency, unemployment rate rose to 11.2% in 2000 from 10.3% in 1998, which saw 416,000 more jobless Filipinos. Livelihood and employment, which were among the flagship programs of the then National Anti-Poverty Commission, never inched forward due to lack of funds. Instead, labor export and contractualization flourished. Major strikes were also violently dispersed, such as those by the workers of the Philippine Air Lines, Light Rail Transit and the Manila Hotel. Estrada also ignored calls for minimum wage increases for fear of “scaring away investors” and taking away the country’s comparative advantage in labor costs.

Like Teodoro, former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SMBA) chairperson Gordon’s idea of building the local industry to create jobs is not through boosting the capacity of the local manufacturing industry but through tourism and attracting foreign investments. For example in 1996, years after the removal of the US military bases, there was an influx of foreign blue-chip companies in Subic after he aggressively promoted the SBMA to foreign investors.

Through her foundations, Madrigal says she has sponsored livelihood programs particularly for women workers. For example, through her Abad Santos Madrigal Foundation, a Basic Reflexology Training Program was able to train more than 10,000 reflexology therapists nationwide. Meanwhile, Perlas says he has helped with poverty reduction and job creation in over 230,000 micro-finance partners throughout the country as a former bank officer.

As a legislator for several years, Villar authored several bills pertaining to the development of local SMEs and the promotion of working people’s rights. Some tackled the establishment of an SME stock exchange and regional and provincial business one-stop shop centers for these; development of and assistance for micro and cottage industries; job training programs for mature or older workers; and the further development of Filipino seafarers through information and technology.

Beyond elections

After May 10, Filipinos have yet to wait and see if the winning candidates have enough political will in pushing for the genuine upliftment of workers and the domestic industry. This is especially since history has proven that elections have not been the perfect vehicle for even alleviating the plight of Filipino workers, moreso if compared with the workers’ vigilance in tirelessly, constantly and creatively echoing their demands and working determinedly to address them. (Posted by Bulatlat.com)

 Save as PDF