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A SMALL victory for the Filipino war veterans is the
passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill last week in the United
States Senate. Recognition for the valor of Filipinos who fought for
the defense of the United States and the Philippines during World
War II came 62 years late. The beneficiaries—a small band of
venerable citizens—are falling in numbers as age, disease and
death decimate their ranks.
It would not be surprising if
President Bush vetoes the bill if it passes the House and the
lawmakers agree on an omnibus model. Washington reports say the
White House has opposed the measure, believing the little money it
provides is better spent on America’s adventures in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
There is little to cheer about
the Senate gesture. Of course the bill passed by a wide margin. And
Filipinos (and Americans of Filipino descent) have confirmed anew
they could count on Senators Daniel Inouye, Hillary Clinton and
others who know how to recognize a debt and how to fulfill a
promise.
US military aid to the
Philippines, the observers remind us, is a pittance and is always at
risk of diminution. Perhaps we should not complain because the
Philippine Senate closed down the US military bases in the 1990s and
President Arroyo backed out of the US-led war in Iraq over the fate
of a Filipino overseas worker.
America places its veterans high
on the national pantheon. It sets aside a day of the year to pay
them homage. To optimize services, the government in 1989 elevated
the Veterans Administration to a full-blown Cabinet department. The
nation’s highest honors are conferred on its bravest officers and
soldiers.
Filipinos, too, regard their
veterans as pillars of the community. Their record is outstanding:
fighting for freedom in the last world war, in several foreign
conflicts, and keeping peace in troubled countries. In the 1890s,
Filipino troops—short in arms and bodies—fought two colonial
armies, the Spaniards and the Americans, in succession.
Two weeks ago President Arroyo
signed a bill expanding their rights and benefits. It wasn’t about
the money and the little security it promised. It was a matter of
honor and dignity. But there is a shortage of memory and respect
across the Pacific.
After the Filipino-American War,
American authors and textbooks referred to the bloody conflict as
the “Philippine Insurrection” as if the Filipinos had rebelled
against an established government. The Filipinos who fought for
freedom along with Americans in Bataan and in the hills during the
enemy occupation had to fight for their rights for 62 years. They
got some money last week, but, we think, little respect.
Roque must labor hard
IT’S not too late to
congratulate the new Labor secretary whose appointment was announced
by President Arroyo at a business launch in Laguna two weeks ago.
We are pleased that Marianito
Roque, formerly Overseas Workers Welfare Administration chief, got
the job over several politicians who wanted the office. Roque is a
labor professional who saw the creation of the overseas employment
program from the start and witnessed its evolution into a major
development tool of government.
Boosting jobs
His principal priority is to
boost jobs in the Philippines and to promote Filipino professionals
and skills overseas. The protection of our OFWs is a paramount
concern.
Along with jobs, he should see to
the quality of employment. Improvements in wages should be a
continuing concern so that workers could meet both their daily needs
and still enjoy surplus income. He faces a mightier problem in
underemployment, the millions of Filipinos who do not earn enough
and must moonlight to survive.
Industrial peace is key to
economic growth and DOLE has done a good job maintaining
labor-management harmony. But human dignity should not be sacrificed
in the name of labor peace.
Emergency employment program
Roque should continually promote
voluntary arbitration and mediation as a way of addressing labor
disputes. Alternative dispute resolutions are less expensive and
often more productive than the formal methods of the National Labor
Relations Commission.
He ought to consider a kind of
emergency employment program for the jobless who cannot afford cheap
rice and all basic needs. The Blas F. Ople Policy Institute, a labor
think tank, strongly advocates an emergency work scheme in the
interim.
Occupational safety and health is
vital in the workplace. Accidents and diseases thrive in many
occupations and industries, including construction, fireworks and
business outsourcing.
Labor contracting, work
permits
Abolish the labor-contracting
provision in the Labor Code to end the practice of making
apprenticeship and probation a lifetime prospect and that allows
employers to avoid their responsibilities to their workers.
A review of the work permit
program for aliens of the Department of Labor and the Bureau of
Immigration is necessary to satisfy public concern that these
permits are being issued indiscriminately even for jobs that could
be done by Filipinos.
As Labor Day approaches, more
suggestions, such as those from the Ople think tank will arise for
Secretary Roque. He will have a busy term ahead ensuring employment
promotion, labor protection and industrial peace.
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