Teachers, health workers join protest against corruption

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – For the past 18 years, public elementary school teacher Hgier Villaraz has been struggling with the insufficient budget of the education sector. He said that classrooms are still lacking, ventilation is still poor, and class size is more than they can handle. What’s worse is that their students, mostly coming from poor families, are also struggling due to their poverty.

“We see their real situation when we do home visitations and it’s heartbreaking. We would find out that they cannot submit their projects because they don’t have the money to buy [for the supplies],” Villaraz told Bulatlat in an interview.

Villaraz is among the thousands who joined the protest action at Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Jan. 31 dubbed as Kilos, Bayan! Laban sa Kahirapan, Korapsyon at Kawalang Pananagutan (People, Act! Fight Against Poverty, Corruption, and Lack of Accountability)!

Hgier Villaraz or Sir Ogie to his students joins the rally calling for salary increase for public school teachers. (AMU/Bulatlat)

He said that joining the protest is important to express their grievances to the government. “If we do not act, then what will happen? We have had many dialogues and posted our calls in social media but I think our voice and our calls are still not heard by the government.”

Organized by the Taumbayan Ayaw sa Magnanakaw at Abusado Network Alliance (TAMA NA), the groups demanded that the government address the urgent issues of high prices of basic commodities and services, low wages, misuse of public funds and human rights violations committed with impunity.

The convenor of the network came from different sectors – professionals, church groups, the youth and students, among others. They also demanded urgent action from the Marcos Jr administration in exacting accountability from former President Rodrigo Duterte and act on the impeachment complaints filed against her daughter Vice President Sara Duterte.

Lack of social services

Villaraz said that the P12-billion ($205-million) decrease in the budget of the Department of Education (DepEd) affects the needs of teachers and their students.

With the majority of their students being poor, he said that they are forced to provide for the needs of their students. “There are students who come to school without snacks. Or those who do not have the resources to bring supplies for their projects. This is why we also shell out from our own wallet to help the students.” He added that even their instructional materials like whiteboard markers are lacking.

As regards the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI), a nurse is handling at least 10 patients at the general ward where there are multiple patients.

Jocelyn Guinto, 55, president of the NKTI Employees Union, said that the specialty hospital is also understaffed while medicines are also limited. “There are many medicines that are not available.”

Guinto has been working as a nursing assistant at NKTI for 16 years. She said that not only are the staff lacking, the hospital also lacks beds. “Many patients in the emergency room are in wheelchairs because there is not enough bed capacity.”

This explains why the news about the transfer of PhilHealth funds to the Department of Finance (DOF) is infuriating for them, she said. “There are many patients who need medical services and yet the government is not spending that fund on those who are in need.” For her, the transfer of the fund will only benefit the politicians. “It’s really enraging when every year, the PhilHealth contribution increases and yet we cannot fully benefit from it,” Guinto said.

The Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order on the transfer of PhilHealth’s excess fund of P29.9 billion to the DOF to fund the unprogrammed appropriations in the national budget. This amount is the supposed last tranche in the four tranches of transfer to the DOF. The past three tranches that were transferred to the DOF amounted to P60 billion in 2024.

‘Worsening conditions’

For housewife Luz Dela Cruz, 58, the government should address the lack of housing for the poor.

Luz and her husband who is a padyak (tricycle) driver are living along the bridge in Gulod, Novaliches. Her husband only earns P300 to P400 a day. Although her children have families of their own, she said they are still struggling with the little income that her husband earns. “We still have debts to pay. Still we are able to eat in order to survive daily.”

She said that she joined the rally to call for jobs and better wages.

According to think tank group Ibon Foundation, “there is a serious disconnect between the worsening conditions of Filipinos and the Marcos Jr administration’s claims of steady economic growth and a robust labor market.”

Ibon said that many Filipinos like Dela Cruz are struggling with poverty.

Ibon Executive Director Sonny Africa said that the gross domestic product (GDP) – touted by the government as among the fastest in the region – grew to 5.8 percent in the first three quarters of 2024, up from 5.6 percent in 2023. “The unemployment rate reportedly dropped from 3.6 percent in November 2023 to 3.2 percent in November 2024, which is the third lowest monthly unemployment rate on record. Yet, the number of Filipinos considering themselves poor rose to 17.4 million or 6-out-of-10 families, and those experiencing hunger grew to 7.2 million, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.”

He said that while local and foreign big businesses are profiting from their investments in the country, the development promised by the government has not materialized. “Profits of listed firms on the Philippine Stock Exchange rose 6.6 percent, and the wealth of the three richest Filipinos grew by 25%. However, key sectors like agriculture and manufacturing are at historic lows, and productivity has stagnated for almost five years. This shows that while economic output is growing, fewer people are benefiting.”

Legitimate calls

“We are here because our calls are legitimate and the government should act on it,” Guinto said.

For Villaraz, joining the protest is the most effective way to put the message across to the government. “As a teacher, we also need to participate in mobilizations like this,” he said, adding that the more people joining their calls together, the louder it will be. (RTS,DAA, RVO)

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