Last year, workers faced severe challenges in their wages, benefits and working conditions as they were caught in the vise of economic difficulties brought about by the cost-of-living crisis and escalating intramurals between the two leading political dynasties in the country. While the average inflation of 3.2% in 2024 was almost half compared to 2023,...
Tag: labor
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Transitioning away from fossil fuels must be rapid, equitable and just
September saw high-level meetings seeking to steer the course of human civilization’s future amid multiple global challenges. More than 190 member-states of the United Nations came together for the annual UN General Assembly in New York. In the same city, governments, corporations, and civil society organizations participated in the subsequent Summit of the Future and...
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What went wrong with the ‘Eddie Garcia bill’?
After third and final reading at the Senate, the “Eddie Garcia bill” was sent in April to the Office of the President for signing. No action has been taken so far. Meanwhile, certain quarters in the local entertainment industry have spoken about some questionable provisions in the final form of Senate Bill No. 2505, or...
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Leo Martinez opposes Senate version of Eddie Garcia Bill
Veteran actor and comedian Leo Martinez is not happy with Senate Bill No. 2505, otherwise known as the Eddie Garcia Bill. “I do not support it,” Martinez said, adding that he is in favor of the House of Representatives’ version of the measure. Martinez is known for his alter ego, “Tongressman Manhik Manaog,” and was...
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A proposed law bears Eddie Garcia’s name and legacy
Five years after his death, the iconic character actor Eddie Garcia is honored with legislation bearing his name and aimed at protecting workers in the film and television industry. Senate Bill (SB) No. 2505, otherwise known as the Eddie Garcia Bill, was unanimously approved by the Senate on Feb. 19. It now awaits a bicameral...
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Barbie’s story in the Philippines is not all glamour and glitter
The pink, sparkly dress of the Barbie doll has been veiling something much less glamorous—the loss of thousands of jobs when the company that manufactured the toy in the Philippines closed shop. It is now a blurry episode for most Filipinos, but it may still be fresh in the memory of the workers, mostly women,...
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In 2022, crisis in incomes and jobs pummeled labor sector
Despite the economy’s recovery from the recession induced by the pandemic, workers faced a worsening crisis in incomes and jobs in 2022. Thus, while businesses were slowly recuperating, formal and informal workers continued bleeding from wage and income erosion, job losses, and a fall in employment quality. Inflation climbed steadily for the whole year, from...