REFERRING to the country’s workforce as the “backbone of our Republic,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed on Labor Day Friday to expand job opportunities and strengthen labor protections.
In his message, Marcos said the working class continued to drive the country forward despite economic challenges and changing industries.
“Today, we honor every member of our workforce whose hands carry the weight of our shared future-whether at sunrise, beneath the noonday heat, or in the long hours when the nation sleeps,” he said.
“Through your grit and sacrifice, families find stability, and the country finds strength. You are, and will always be, the backbone of our Republic,” he said.
Marcos stressed the need to build a system where “hard work is rewarded, and opportunity is real.”
He said this included protecting livelihoods, respecting honest labor and ensuring that progress reaches ordinary families.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the president would spend most of Labor Day in General Santos City, where he was to lead government job-generation and aid distribution activities.
Marcos was scheduled to return to Malacañang on Friday afternoon.
In Manila, human rights groups joining a Labor Day protest march called on the government to raise the minimum wage to P1,200 and to scrap the value-added tax (VAT) and excise tax on fuel amid the ongoing oil crisis.
Thousands of marchers from the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), and other human rights groups and student organizations converged on España Boulevard and were to proceed to Mendiola Street.
But Mendiola, the entry point to Malacañang, had been heavily barricaded by police, so the protesters ended their march at Morayta Street.
Later in the day, they moved to Kalaw Avenue to continue their demonstration near the United States Embassy.
The protesters condemned the US and Israel’s war on Iran, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the spike in global fuel prices.
Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago told The Manila Times that mass action — especially the annual staging of the Labor Day demonstrations — is important, noting that many human rights gains were achieved through collective protests.
Elago stressed that raising the minimum wage would help workers cope with the oil and energy crisis.
Leody De Guzman, chairman of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, echoed Elago’s sentiments, saying that many of the demands raised in the protests have remained unchanged since the 1970s.
“What I have been shouting in protests since 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000 until now is still the same: to increase the wages and keep prices on goods low; to make the water cheap, the electricity cheap. Yet, the government has done nothing to solve this,” said De Guzman.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) announced it would deploy 14,000 officers to maintain peace throughout the protest.
KMU Chairman Jerome Adonis had assured that the demonstration would remain peaceful.
Mong Palatino, Bayan secretary-general, accused the president of allowing the expansion of US military bases in the country.
“That’s why today’s protest will end near the US Embassy — to condemn the US’ war of aggression, to condemn Marcos Jr.’s war of aggression, and to show that the Filipino people stand against imperialism,” Palatino said.
The protesters also assured public transport drivers that demonstrations will continue until their demands are met.
During a minor altercation, Police Lt. June Abrazado confronted protesters who burned effigies of Marcos, US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near the embassy.
The protesters condemned the members of the Bureau of Fire Protection for putting out the fire.
Abrazado explained that they were only trying to prevent ashes from reaching Rizal Park.
“I hope you could see how big the fire was. We are concerned for the rallyists because they could get burned. They could have been injured. Their safety was our priority. That’s why we prepared for the water,” Abrazado said in Filipino.
Police also accused a protester of stealing a cell phone from an officer. Abrazado said the individual involved will be charged.
Abrazado said that some officers were punched and struck with sticks by protesters, an accusation denied by Nito Luces, a KMU official.
The PNP said overall, the celebration of Labor Day nationwide was peaceful and orderly.
At least nine rallies were held in different parts of the country, drawing an estimated 3,410 participants.
In his Labor Day message, Speaker Faustino Dy III described Filipino workers as the “strength and life” of the country and “the true lifeblood of our nation.”
“Through your diligence, perseverance and sacrifice, the industries, services and development of the Philippines continue to move forward,” Dy said.
He also recognized the challenges workers face every day, from wages and benefits, job security and working conditions.
Dy said the House of Representatives continues to uphold the welfare of the workforce by promoting bills and measures that “strengthen the protection, opportunity and dignity of the worker.”
To mark Labor Day, the Department of Education, and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) opened dedicated green lanes for senior high school (SHS) graduates at job fairs to accelerate their entry in the workforce.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the partnership fulfills the mandate of the president to improve the lives of the underprivileged.
The green lanes are part of the job fairs held by DOLE in 70 sites across the country, offering over 230,000 employment opportunities.
The strategy was first showcased at the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair rollout last March, where over 1,400 SHS and Alternative Learning System graduates were hired on the spot.
“Through green lanes and removal of fees for documents, we are removing the burden for parents and give graduates the opportunity to help their families,” Angara said.
Sen. Bam Aquino on Friday called on the government to expand assistance to the working and middle classes, who continue to bear the brunt of rising fuel and commodity prices while remaining largely excluded from state aid.
In his Labor Day statement, Aquino said these sectors comprise about 80 percent of Filipinos and should be prioritized amid the ongoing economic strain.
Aquino warned against sidelining the sector and reiterated proposals to suspend excise taxes on fuel and cut the VAT from 12 percent to 10 percent to ease costs.
He cited Senate Bill 2047, which seeks to reduce VAT across goods and services, including petroleum products, by amending provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997. Aquino also co-authored Republic Act 12316, granting the president authority to suspend or reduce fuel excise taxes during emergencies.
CATHERINE VALENTE, ALLEN LIMOS, IZEL ABANILLA, RED MENDOZA AND JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
