1 M agriculture sector workers may lose jobs due to El Niño

Photo taken last May shows a girl examining the cracked soil caused by the dry spell in Barangay Madayegdeg, San Fernandoe City, La Union. VIC ALHAMBRA

MANILA, Philippines – The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) has called on the national government to draw up contingency plans for about 800,000 to one million agriculture sector workers who stand to lose their jobs within the next six months of an intensified El Niño dry spell.

The largest labor group in the country said the workers should be included in the livelihood and assistance programs of the government and in the mitigation plans being drawn by various national and local government offices.

“We urge the government to include in their mitigation plans the agriculture sector workers who may be rendered jobless due to the intense weather phenomenon,” said Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU). “These type of workers suffer a double whammy because not only do they lose their livelihood and income, they also suffer as consumers.”

Seno said the group supports the call of Sen. Francis Escudero, who last Friday urged the national government to create an inter-agency task force that will draw a roadmap to better cope with El Niño.

The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) records showed that as of April, there are 11.4 million workers in the agriculture sector, down by 400,000 from 2014’s 11.8 million. These workers include those engaged in hunting, forestry and fishing.

Alan Tanjusay, TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesman, projected a rapid employment decline in the agriculture sector starting at the onset of El Niño as he also cited a Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) record that showed a 0.37 percent contraction in employments relating to the agriculture sector during the second quarter of this year.

The decline is largely attributed to the intense heat, which affected the crops and fisheries sub-sectors.

“Our agriculture workers, particularly in the rural areas, are underpaid. That is why the sector always had the highest underemployment incidence. We do not see the agricultural workers in the government’s El Niño rescue plan,” Tanjusay said.

The TUCP-Nagkaisa also quoted data that showed a steady decline in the number of workers in the agricultural sector starting from 12.2 million in 2011, 12 million in 2012, 11.83 million in 2013 and 11.8 million last year.

In July this year, the group said unemployment in the sector rose to a total of 755,000 workers.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretary-general and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan blamed the onset of El Niño as causing the rise of unemployment in the sector.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said 58 percent of the country is experiencing the effects of El Niño, and that this could increase to 85 percent in February 2016.

The provinces heavily affected by the phenomenon include Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Bohol, Siquijor, Camiguin and Misamis Oriental. – By Michael Punongbayan (The Philippine Star) With Mayen Jaymalin

El Niño to leave 1M agri workers jobless

AT least one million workers in the agricultural sector stand to lose their jobs in the coming months as an intense El Niño threatens to lay waste large tracts of agricultural lands in several provinces, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) warned on Sunday.

The TUCP, the country’s biggest labor group, urged the government to immediately institute mitigation plans, including provision of livelihood assistance to farmers and other agricultural workers who will be adversely affected by El Nino, a prolonged dry spell.

“We urge the government, from the national down to the local government units, to include in its mitigation plans those workers in the agriculture sector who may be rendered jobless due to the intense weather phenomenon. These types of workers suffer double whammy because not only will they lose their livelihood and income, they also suffer as consumers,” the TUCP said.

Records from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) showed that as of April this year, there were 11.4 million workers in the agricultural sector, down by 400,000 from 11.8 million in 2014.

Aside from farming and harvesting, the sector also includes hunting, forestry and fishing.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said the agricultural sector contracted by 0.37 percent in the second quarter of the year because of the intense heat that destroyed crops,

“Our agriculture workers particularly in the rural areas are underwaged, that is why the sector always had the highest underemployment incidence. Besides that, we do not see agricultural workers in the El Nino rescue plan of the government,” TUCP spokesman Allan Tanjusay said.

From 11.9 million in 2010, workers in the agricultural sector rose to 12.2 million in 2011–the highest rise in a five-year period–and dwindled to 12 million in 2012 and further down to 11.83 million in 2013.

In July this year, unemployment in the sector rose to a total of 755,000 workers.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretary-general and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan blamed the onset of the El Nino phenomenon for causing an uptick in unemployment in the sector.

Earlier, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle issued a circular calling on all clergy, superiors of religious communities and heads of secular institutes in the archdiocese of Manila to pray the Oratio Imperata Ad Petendam Pluvian or Oraio Imperata for the Impending Drought to address the impending long dry spell that threatens to affect the whole country until next year as a result of the El Nino phenomenon.

“This impending situation brings us to the brink of helplessness, but not hopelessness, as we turn to God our Father, to turn His mercy on us and shorten the life of El Nino and bring down the rain to avert the crisis,” Tagle said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said 58 percent of the country are experiencing effects of El Nino and could increase to 85 percent in February 2016.

Provinces heavily affected by the phenomenon are Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Bohol, Siquijor, Camiguin and Misamis Oriental.

The prolonged drought would seriously affect about 46 provinces, causing damage to agriculture and critical water supply for human consumption.

Last July, around 755,000 workers in the agricultural sector were reported jobless because of the El Nino phenomenon, according to data provided by the BAS and the PSA.

So, if El Nino will continue in the next six months, the 1 million workers in the agricultural sector losing their jobs is evidently bad news for the economy.

Balisacan earlier admitted that the dry spell will surely send workers in the agricultural sector jobless because of the bad weather’s direct attack on the land.

To help the workers cope with economic difficulties for the same period, TUCP’s Tanjusay urged the Aquino administration to include “livelihood and assistance [programs] for the [affected workers] in mitigation plans being drawn up by various national government agencies and local government units [LGUs].”

BAS and PSA records showed that the country has a total of 11.4 million agricultural workers as of April this year.

The agricultural workers are described as one of the poorest sectors of the country since their income always depends on the status of agriculture.

If there is dry spell caused by El Nino, they face severe difficulty in providing for their daily needs.

Thus, Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions, said his group, a member of TUCP, “urges government [officials] from the national [level] down to the LGUs to [also] include in their mitigation plans [the] workers in the agricultural sector who [would] be … jobless due to the intense weather phenomenon. These … workers [are expected to] suffer [triple] whammy because … they lose their livelihood, income [and] also suffer as consumers.” - The Manila Times

Workers' group asks: Where is govt plan for 800,000 who will lose jobs due to El Nino?

FILE PHOTO BY BERNARD TESTA

MANILA - At least 800,000 to 1 million workers in the agriculture sector may lose their jobs within the next six months of an intensified El Nino dry spell, the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines-Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa) said in a news release Sunday.

The scenario prompted the TUCP-Nagkaisa to call for the inclusion of livelihood assistance for them in mitigation plans being drawn up by various national government agencies and local government units.

“We urge government, from the national down to the local government units, to include in their mitigation plan those workers in the agriculture sector who may be rendered jobless due to intense weather phenomenon. They suffer double whammy because not only that they lose their livelihood and income, they also suffer as consumer,” said Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU).

Seno said the group supports the call of Senator Chiz Escudero for government to create an inter-agency task force that will draw a roadmap in coping with El Nino.

Records from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) showed as of April this year, there are 11.4 million workers working in the agriculture sector, down by 400,000 from 11.8 million by the end 2014. Aside from farming and harvesting, the sector also includes hunting, forestry, and fishing.

TUCP-Nagkaisa spokesman Alan Tanjusay attributed the rapid unemployment during the period to the beginning of El Nino event citing data from BAS saying the agriculture industry contracted by 0.37 percent in the second quarter of the year due to intense heat which affected crops and fisheries subsectors, records from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed.

“Our agriculture workers particularly in the rural areas are underwaged that is why the sector always had the highest underemployment incidence. Besides, we do not see agricultural workers in the El Nino rescue plan of government,” Tanjusay said.

From 11.9 million in 2010, workers in the agriculture rose to 12.2 million in 2011 -- the highest in five-year period -- and dwindled to 12 million in 2012 and further down to 11.83 million in 2013.

In July this year, unemployment in the sector rose to a total of 755,000 workers. National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) secretary-general and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan blamed the onset of El Nino phenomenon caused the uptick in unemployment in the sector.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Administration said 58 percent of the country is experiencing effects of El Nino and could increase to 85 percent in February 2016. Provinces heavily affected by the phenomenon are Quirino, Aurora, Quezon, Bohol, Siquijo, Camiguin, and Misamis Oriental. - InterAksyon.com means BUSINESS

SSS urged to step up campaign against erring capitalists

SIX biggest labor organizations and alliances on Friday have strongly prodded the leadership of the Social Security System (SSS) to step up its campaign against capitalists who deliberately refuse to remit their monthly financial obligation collected from their employees.

Leody de Guzman, president of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP), said the leaders and managers of the SSS must oblige all the employers to ensure that they will remit their employees’ monthly obligation and the corresponding employers’ share to the SSS.

Alan Tanjusay, spokesperson of the alliance of Trade Union Congress of the Philippines and Nagkaisa (TUCP-Nagkaisa), added that the SSS should conduct a regular inspection or reminder to all private firms covered to remit to the government’s social security agency the monthly payment of the employees and the corresponding employers’ share.

On September 21, The Manila Times reported that the SSS was able to collect about P1.6 billion from employers who refused to remit to the SSS the employers’ and employees’ monthly financial obligation for the past years.

The Times also reported that the SSS managed to send to jail at least 24 capitalists out of the 7,000 who intentionally violated the SSS Law.

For these accomplishments, Partido Manggagawa (PM) spokesman Wilson Fortaleza said the SSS leadership should step up its efforts so that more capitalists will be incarcerated for violating the agency’s law.

Fortaleza added that the 24 jailed capitalists were not enough since PM strongly believes that there are many businessmen still refuse to give the SSS the monthly payment of the employees together with the employers share.

Although the law stipulates that company employees should lodge a complaint against erring employers before the SSS, Tanjusay, who is also chairman of the Labor Party of the Philippines (LPP), said there is still a huge number of employers who deliberately ignore remitting to SSS the money they collect from their employees.

He also pointed out that the SSS would not act unless an employee will file a complaint against his or her employer who refused to remit the money they chopped from their employees.

Sonny Matula, president of the Federation of Free Workers (FFW), said the action against any erring employer should not only be done by the SSS but by the employees as well in order to win against the SSS Law violators.

Matula stressed that the employees’ decision against their employer is an important act to help SSS do its obligation.

But Matula, who is also a lawyer, should be reminded that the mindset of Filipino workers is filled with fear. They are afraid to file a complaint against their employers who violated even a series of non-remittance to the SSS amounting to two years.

A good example was a call center employee who failed to get her financial incentive from the SSS when she gave birth to her third child two months ago, because her employer did not remit the money they collected.

The employee was then advised to lodge a complaint so that legal actions could be done against the SSS Law violator, but she later on refused out of fear that she might be fired from the company. - by NELSON S. BADILLA, REPORTER / The Manila Times