01/05/2026
[ Statement on Labor Day ]
โSahod Itaas, Presyo Ibabaโ
On May 01, 1903, the Philippines witnessed its first Labor Day mobilization, as thousands of united workers marched from Plaza Moriones in Tondo to Malacaรฑang, calling for fair wages and complete independence from the capitalist and imperialist United States. More than a century later, on May 01, 2026, these demands remain at the forefront of this yearโs Labor Day celebration. Workers and advocates continue to take to the streets to protest against the systemic inequalities that sustain the exploitation of the working class, as well as unjust policies that perpetuate unfair labor practices and an unlivable minimum wage. Despite decades of political and economic change, the struggle for dignified work and equitable working conditions persists, especially in light of present realities where the prices of basic goods have continued to rise while wages remain stagnant, making the minimum wage insufficient even for a single individualโs basic needs.
Now, with the continued US Imperialist war on Iran, the price of oil remains high, with diesel at Php 90 per liter coupled with increasing prices of basic goods. Directly affected are the farmers, fisherfolks, drivers, among many workers who rely and utilize oil in their daily living, such as transporting goods and operating machines. Additional burden is imposed by the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Excise Taxes on oil, while private oil companies continue to earn billions of pesos. This issue is recurrent of the lack of national industry for oil in the country, leaving it at the mercy of private oil cartels when its supply and distribution gets disrupted by wars and conflicts.
In response to that, the current administration imposed reactive, counterproductive measures, namely compressed workweek and meager fuel subsidy. In the name of โsaving energyโ to circumvent rising costs, compressed workweek only burdens workers as they now need to work for 12 hours a day for 4 days without overtime pay, increasing their exposure to physical and mental exhaustion. More so, the Php 5,000 fuel subsidy for drivers only covers less than a week of fuel costs, with its inhumane distribution that led to the death of a TNVS driver.
We, the Practice of Administrative Leadership and Service (PALS-NCPAG), stand in solidarity with all Filipino workers, then and now, in amplifying calls for higher wages, humane working conditions, and an end to the exploitative, capitalist-driven system that continues to marginalize the labor sector.
We call on our government officials and policy-makers to take urgent action to enact the P200 daily minimum wage hike that reflects the rising cost of living, strengthen labor protections, and prioritize people-centered policies over narrow economic interests. Congruent to this is the necessity to rollback and lower the price of oil and other goods. Moreover, regressive forms of taxation, like VAT and Excise taxes, must be junked, and national industrialization must be forwarded instead, ensuring that economic policies uplift the vulnerable sectors of our society, not weigh them down. Lastly, with the anti-imperialist stance as the roots of this movement, the US imperialist wars that continue to oppress the workers must be ended!
It is imperative that the public office genuinely serve the masses, and not the imperialist-capitalist elite. For what is policy, if not for the protection of the people it is meant to uphold? At a time when the working class continues to bear the brunt of the countryโs economic burden, the government must stand firmly on the side of its people.
Moreover, as a socio-political student organization, PALS-NCPAG also calls on our fellow students to take an active role in advancing these calls. As iskolar ng bayan, we must not be detached from the realities aforementioned; rather, it is our duty to go beyond the four walls of the classroom and engage in critical discourse, as well as to participate in collective action that serves the betterment of the Filipino people.
Ngayong Mayo Uno - Pandaigdigang Araw ng Manggagawa - sama-sama tayong tumindig at makibaka kasama ang ating uring manggagawa. Sila at tayo ay iniinda ang krisis, pinapahirapan ng mga di-makataong polisiya, at ginigipit kahit paos na paos na. Hindi matatamo ang tunay na pagbabago kung walang sama-samang pagkilos. Kaya, tuloy ang ating laban para sa sahod, trabaho, at karapatan!
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