The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) has expressed dismay over President Benigno Aquino III’s declarations during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, particularly on matters pertaining to contractualization and low wage.
Early into his national report, the President regaled the nation about the accomplishments of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA which was a beneficiary of P1.6 billion funds from the government’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Aquino said under TESDA’s training for work scholarship program, the government was able to help 223,165 TESDA students. From over 200,000 beneficiaries, 66 percent or 146,731 finished their courses and are now employed. TESDA is continuing to help the rest look for jobs.
The TUCP failed to hear updates on other labor issues. Instead of the TESDA “success story”, the group was hoping to know what the President is doing to address contractualization, low salary rates, unemployment and underemployment, and the effect of power crisis to labor and industry.
TUCP, a major labor group in the country, plans to ask for P135 salary increase by September. - Manila Bulletin
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