Batingaw

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓
𝟏𝟐𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭: 𝐔𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐥

On the occasion of 124th Labor Day, the NAPC–Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sectoral Council stands in solidarity with millions of Filipino workers who continue to power the nation despite persistent challenges of low wages, job insecurity, and limited protection of their fundamental rights.

We recognize the urgent and long-overdue need for a ₱200 across-the-board wage increase to help workers and their families cope with the rising cost of living. This measure is not merely economic relief—it is a matter of dignity and justice for those whose labor sustains our economy.

At the same time, we call for the strengthening of security of tenure. The continued prevalence of contractualization and precarious work arrangements undermines workers’ stability, weakens families, and erodes trust in our labor system. Regular employment must be the rule, not the exception.

We further urge comprehensive reforms in the Labor Code, with a strong emphasis on the protection and promotion of freedom of association. Workers must be able to organize, unionize, and collectively bargain without fear of harassment, retaliation, or repression. A truly democratic society upholds the right of workers to have a voice in shaping their conditions of work.

Equally important is the need to address deepening inequality through progressive fiscal reforms. We call for the enactment of a wealth tax on the country’s richest individuals and large corporations to ensure that those with the greatest capacity contribute their fair share to national development. Revenues from such measures must be directed toward strengthening social protection, creating quality jobs, and improving public services for workers and their families.

As we commemorate Labor Day, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing policies that uphold workers’ rights, ensure decent work, and promote inclusive and sustainable development.
The struggle for fair wages, secure employment, and genuine labor rights continues—and we stand firmly with Filipino workers in this collective pursuit.

Ngayong Mayo 1, nakikiisa ang National Anti-Poverty Commission sa pagkilala sa mga Manggagawang Pilipino sa loob at labas ng bansa.

Sa mga kabahagi ng uring manggagawa sa pormal at impormal na aspekto, taos-pusong pagpupugay sa inyong dedikasyon at katatagan na nagsusulong sa pag-unlad ng lipunan at ekonomiyang Pilipino.

Ngayong araw, kinikilala ang sakripisyo ng mga manggagawa at nanawagan ang batayang sektor sa patuloy na pagsusulong ng karapatan sa disente at nakabubuhay na trabaho.

Maligayang Araw ng mga Manggagawa!

PRESS STATEMENT: 𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐂–𝐅𝐋𝐌𝐖𝐒𝐂 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐑𝐑 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞-𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐲

The National Anti-Poverty Commission – Formal Labor and Migrant Workers Sectoral Council (NAPC–FLMWSC) welcomes the long-overdue issuance of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 11551, otherwise known as Labor Education Act, five years after its enactment.

While this development is a step in the right direction, the delay underscores the urgent need to prioritize labor education as a critical component of workers’ empowerment and national development.

According to Sectoral Representative Danilo Laserna, labor education is not merely an academic requirement—it is a vital tool that enables workers, particularly the youth, to understand their rights and responsibilities under the Labor Code of the Philippines and other social legislations, and to actively participate in building fair, safe, and just workplaces. In the context of rising precarious employment and evolving labor arrangements, equipping workers with knowledge is essential to ensuring that rights are not only guaranteed but effectively exercised, he added.

The NAPC–FLMWSC emphasizes that the effectiveness of the IRR will depend on its immediate, faithful, and adequately funded implementation. We call on concerned government agencies, educational institutions, and stakeholders to ensure that labor education is meaningfully integrated into curricula at all levels, including technical-vocational and higher education.

Moreover, labor education must go beyond theoretical instruction. It should include practical components such as understanding workplace rights and grievance mechanisms; promoting occupational safety and health; strengthening awareness of social protection systems; and encouraging responsible and informed participation in labor relations.

The Council further underscores that labor education plays a crucial role in poverty reduction, as it empowers workers to secure better employment conditions, assert their rights, and avoid exploitation.

As we welcome this milestone, the Council urges the government to ensure that the IRR does not remain a mere policy issuance, but translates into concrete, accessible, and impactful programs that reach workers across sectors, including those in the informal economy and migrant workforce. After five years of delay, workers cannot afford further inaction.

𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐍𝐎𝐖: The National Anti-Poverty Commission – Artisanal Fisherfolk Sectoral Council actively participates in the Writeshop and Legal Review of the Draft Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) on the Creation of NITFFS in Pasay City.

The activity is consists of three parts including the NITFFS 2nd Quarter Meeting, Writeshop on the Draft JMC, and legal review of the draft JMC.

The establishment of Fisherfolk Settlement is recognized as one of the priority sectoral agenda of the AFSC during the 2023 National Sectoral Assembly.

NAPC-AFSC Sectoral Representative Restituto V. Del Rosario, Council Member Martha Cadano, and Council Member Angelito Haban attended the activity as representatives of the basic sector.

𝐈𝐂𝐘𝐌𝐈: 𝐍𝐀𝐏𝐂 𝐏𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

The National Anti-Poverty Commission’s Cooperative Sectoral Council (CSC) and Non-Government Organization Sectoral Council (NGOSC) conducted a Technical Discussion Series on Islamic Social Finance (ISF) in Quezon City, in partnership with M&T Consultants Islamic Co. and student groups from International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) University on April 07, 2026.

The session explored how cooperatives and NGOs can serve as frontliners in poverty reduction through Shariah-compliant financial frameworks. Discussions focused on integrating Islamic finance tools into the National Poverty Reduction Plan, capacitating cooperatives and NGOs as ISF institutions, and showcasing the Philippine Islamic Cooperative Model.

Participants examined the potential use of the People’s Development Trust Fund (PDTF) for Shariah-compliant mechanisms, the importance of Shariah governance frameworks, and the role of cooperatives in helping communities graduate from Mustahik (recipients of Zakat) to Mudaki (payers of Zakat).

This initiative highlights NAPC’s commitment to inclusive, innovative, and culturally grounded approaches to poverty alleviation—empowering cooperatives and NGOs to deliver sustainable, Shariah-compliant financial solutions for communities nationwide.

Present during the meeting were NGO Sectoral Council OIC Atty. Maria Aleta L. Tolentino, CPA; Cooperatives Sectoral Council Members Aunajar Jainal, Maria Hidelita Bernal, Joemar Bayog, Ma. Angelica Mata and Rommel Rivera; Executive Assistant II John Paul Acebuche. Also present were the Sectoral Technical Coordinators of CSC, Reliet O. Avila, and NGOSC, Claudette Alaine D. Alimango.

𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐎 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐇 🥗🇵🇭

Ang Buwan ng Abril ay ginugunita bilang Filipino Food Month bilang pagkilala sa mayamang kultura ng ating mga pagkaing Pilipino—mga lutong sumasalamin sa ating kasaysayan, pagkakakilanlan, at pagkakaisa bilang isang bansa.

Kaisa ang National Anti-Poverty Commission sa pagdiriwang na ito, na naglalayong itaguyod ang kahalagahan ng lokal na pagkain hindi lamang bilang bahagi ng ating kultura, kundi bilang susi rin sa pagpapalakas ng kabuhayan ng ating mga magsasaka, mangingisda, at maliliit na negosyante.

Sa bawat putahe, ipinagdiriwang natin ang koneksyon ng bawat Pilipino—mula sa produksyon hanggang sa hapag-kainan.

Maligayang Filipino Food Month! 🇵🇭

Lumaki kami bilang mga estudyante na tinuruan ng aming mga magulang at g**o na pangalagaan ang kalikasan—na huwag magtapon kung saan-saan, na magtanim ng puno, at igalang ang lupaing nagbibigay-buhay sa atin. Naalala namin ang simpleng bilin: “Ang kalikasan ay hindi minamana lamang, ito ay hiniram mula sa susunod na henerasyon.” Sa mga paaralan, iginuhit namin ang mga bundok na luntian at mga ilog na malinaw. Sa aming mga tahanan, itinuro sa amin ang disiplina at malasakit sa kapaligiran.

Ngunit ngayon, kami na ang kabataang nabubuhay sa kasalukuyan at ang mga aral na iyon ay hinahamon ng mga desisyong tulad nito.

Kaya naman, kami sa National Anti-Poverty Commission - Youth and Students Sector, mariin naming kinokondena ang pagpasa ng Development Permit para sa Regional Sanitary Landfill sa Calauan, Laguna. Ang hakbang na ito ay malinaw na pagbalewala sa kapakanan ng mga mamamayan, lalo na ng mga kabataan na direktang magmamana ng pangmatagalang epekto nito. Sa halip na magsulong ng makakalikasan at sustenableng solusyon sa pamamahala ng basura, pinili ang isang proyektong maglalagay sa panganib sa kalusugan, kalikasan, at kinabukasan ng susunod na henerasyon.

Kami, ang kabataan, ay hindi na lamang tagamasid. Kami ang henerasyong kikilos, maninindigan, at magtatanggol sa kalikasang ipinagkatiwala sa amin.

Dahil ang mga batang tinuruan noon sila naman ang mangangalaga nito ngayon.