Batingaw - Issue 36 - May Day Special 2018

May 2018

Issue 36

News, views and analysis from Migrante Australia

MAY DAY SPECIAL

BATINGAW; BELL; HERALD; The Voice of Filipino Migrants in Australia

IN ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

THIS EDITION

Show of Solidarity May Day Change the Rules May Day in the Philippines I nternational Solidarity Under Attack ◆ A LPA, a new communitybased arts and cultural organisation ◆ Upcoming Events

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EDITORIAL

Show of Solidarity This year’s commemoration of the International Labor Day served as an opportunity for the Filipino community in Australia to assert for labor rights and express solidarity with fellow Filipinos in the Philippines.

Back home, over 150 000 workers joined hand in hand with the other sectors of the society in the protest activities held in various parts of the country. This show of force demonstrates the widespread discontent of the Filipino labor sector with Duterte’s failure to lift the condition of workers in the Philippines. Despite his campaign promise that he would put an end to labor contractualization in the Philippines, Duterte has not done anything substantial to ensure that laborers will get security of tenure. A few months ago, he even conceded that he could not end contractualization as doing

so would earn the ire of foreign investors in the country.

The economic crises hounding the Philippines, particularly the perpetually rising unemployment rate, forces many Filipinos to migrate to other countries to look for economic opportunities.

Unfortunately, the Philippine government fails to ensure the safety of migrant workers, as evinced in the recent case of Joanna Demafelis, a Filipina domestic worker in Kuwait who was killed by her employers. The Duterte administration’s irresponsible intervention has worsened the country’s diplomatic ties with Kuwait, compromising the welfare of over 200 000 migrant workers in Kuwait.

Migrant labor continues to keep the crisis-ridden Philippine economy afloat. Unfortunately, the labor export policy of the

Philippine government offers very little protection for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who even suffer from abuse and violence abroad.

Here in Australia, the fight for job security is an uphill battle with the growing power of big business, and for Filipinos, the struggle is compounded with issues of discrimination.

Migrante Australia thus expresses solidarity with the labor sector in the Philippines. In the face of socio-economic violence attended by the impending installation of dictatorial rule through charter change, as well as the worsening culture of state-sponsored terror in the country, this forging of unity is a significant step towards the consolidation of a truly necessary people’s movement to realize a just society for all.

May Day

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By Geril Lumawig

As militant steps echo throughout the busy urban streets, serving as the guiding melody for the red flags boasting murals of liberty We commemorate the sole drivers of society, those who forged the pillars of history The workers who occupy factories, farms and offices, schools, railways, and other premises Whose rage is manifested through strikes, demonstrations and revolutions Prompted by worsening contradictions and fraudulent solutions Concrete jungles, frozen limbs in the ghettos, Yet the builder of royal castles and affluent boroughs, who stacked the blocks of stones in ancient structures and everything that followed?

Surely not the kings and pharaohs This is the rationale for the internationale, The third world’s agonising cry for national morale, The struggles being waged in the cities and the countrysides, to relieve the plight of the toiling masses, even with arms beside That’s where the real fight for national liberation lies, not in the wars of aggression that send workers abroad to die The forces of labour, Whose very motion feeds the beast, the empire, and the frozen pits Once again struggles for a just and lasting peace As workers around the world celebrate mayday, may they, find solace in a future where mayday is not broadcasted through the radio waves Strictly as a signal of distress, but as recognition for the owners of production, Ever free and not oppressed

About Batingaw

Migrante Australia Publisher of A member of Migrante International PO Box 606, Laverton, Victoria 3028 Email: batingaw.migrante@gmail.com

Batingaw is a bimonthly newsletter expressing views, news and analysis from Migrante Australia. An important aspect of developing this newsletter is an intimate knowledge of and close involvement in all aspects of the Philippine and Australian struggles for justice, democracy and fair-go.

Contributing to Batingaw: Articles, photographs, cartoons, clippings, comments or a few lines are all very welcome. All material should be sent electronically to: batingaw.migrante@ gmail.com. Readers are encouraged to contribute whatever they can by sending donations to the above address.

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Change the Rules

By Steph Rabusa

The right to strike is recognised all over the world as a fundamental human right.

The 9th of May 2018 marked one of the biggest shows of force of the working class in Australian history. More than 120,000 workers marched the streets of Melbourne in response to the Change the Rules campaign spearheaded by the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU).

The campaign is based on the premise that Australian

industrial rules are currently broken, that big business has too much power and that trickledown economics is not working.

According to research done by the ACTU, inequality in Australia is at a 70 year high and wage growth has remained stagnant for many years.

The lowest paid workers struggle to keep up with the cost of living and at least 4 million workers are

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in insecure work. One third of big business did not pay any tax last year and the top 1% own more than the bottom 70% of Australians.

This campaign is meant to put to light the excesses of corporate power and anti-worker industrial laws, especially regarding the right to strike. The right to strike is recognised all over the world as a fundamental human right.

However, in Australia, the laws have made it very difficult for workers to assert their right to strike. The only time workers can

take protected industrial action is during an enterprise bargaining period when they negotiate for a collective agreement. Even then, union members have to go through hoops and layers of red tape to launch strike action.

Years and years of neoliberal, trickle-down economics have eroded the power of unions in Australia. It’s time the working class take it back.

“I am Filipino… I am Australian… I am in Australia…

I am a worker… I was a refugee… I am a leader…

I am a volunteer… I am an actor… I am writer…

I am an advocate… I am a social worker… I am a student… I am a partner… We are a community.”

I Am/We are…

A community theatre and performance, for the community, by the community.

Laverton Community Hub Function Room on 2 June 2018 at 3pm FREE ENTRY

West Chapter

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May Day and the Philippines

Abridged version of the speech delivered at the Melbourne Unitarian Peace Memorial Church on 6th of May 2018

By May Kotsakis Magandang araw! Good Day! I would like to start by acknowledging the traditional owners of this land and pay respect to elders past, present and emerging.

If Australia is called the land Down Under, my country, the Philippines is called the Pearl of the Orient Seas – because of its natural beauty, rich bio-diversity and abundant natural resources. Our nation’s mineral resource assets are valued at around A$1.32 trillion, and those remain largely untapped.

We are a country of over 7,100 islands clustered into 3 main island groups – Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao – and a total land area of 300,000 square kilometres. With the current population at around 103.32 million, it is predicted that by end of December 2018, it will reach 107.2 million. In Australia, our total land area of 7.692 million square kilometres holds a population of 24.13 million based on the 2016 census.

We have a Presidential form of government – just like the United States. Elections are usually popularity contests where most people vote “personalities” (actors and actresses, models and boxers) over “principles”.

Elections are also fought using gold, guns and goons – the 3Gs. We are a peace-loving, beautiful, hospitable, hardworking and resilient people. But we are also warriors with a long history of fighting oppression, colonisation, tyranny, fascism and dictatorship.

There are currently two governments in the Philippines – the Manila government run by the reactionary Duterte regime and the revolutionary government in

the countryside represented by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

Human rights defenders are being harassed and attacked. The Duterte government listed more than 600 human rights advocates as terrorists practically giving a blanket order for their harassment and killings.

Current political and economic situation Duterte won the 2016 election and gained popular support due to his pro-poor pronouncements and promise of change. Among his promises were independent foreign policy, end of labour contractualisation,

distribution of land to poor farmers and the resumption of peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. In the early days of his presidency, it looked like he was keeping true to his promises. He appointed several known activists to some key government positions to effect implementation of some of his promises but later on, his appointees were not confirmed. The peace talks with the NDFP was terminated before the second substantive agenda – the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms - was fully discussed.

Duterte is even expanding the neoliberal policies of the past governments. He and his cronies continue to clear his government of oppositions including interfering in the justice system by impeaching justices who are critical of his policies.

Human rights violation is widespread. Duterte’s war on drugs has led to more than 13,000 killings of mostly poor Filipinos. The recent killings of 71 years old Fr Tito Paez after he helped facilitate the release of a

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political prisoner and Fr Mark Ventura (who - just last week - was gunned down in the presence of children and the church choir) demonstrate the brutality of Duterte’s regime. Both Fr Ventura and Fr Paez were anti-mining activists and advocates for the rights and welfare of the indigenous Filipinos.

Human rights defenders are being harassed and attacked. The Duterte government listed more than 600 human rights advocates as terrorists practically giving a blanket order for their harassment and killings.

Duterte and his cronies aim to hang on to power. They are pushing for a Charter change (Cha-cha) to change the Philippine constitution. The proposed charter change will enable Duterte and his cronies to extend their tenure in government and will remove the protection of local business from foreign control. These are only a few of the many changes in the proposed charter change.

Workers’ condition & workers’ organising In any capitalist country like Australia, the workers are the first to get the brunt of economic crisis, get blamed for the slow progress and financial difficulty and receive just the crumbs that fall from the capitalist pockets. In the Philippines, being a semi feudal and semi colonial country, the workers’ condition is even worst.

There are 10.9 million jobless Filipinos. Unemployment has increased from 15.7 percent in December 2017 to 23.9 percent in March 2018. This figure does not include the more than 1.7 million Filipinos that leave the country every year or an average of 4,690 daily to work overseas. There are now more than 10 million Filipinos working in other countries including here in Australia.

The minimum daily wage is P512.00 per day (about $14.00 per day) in the National Capital Region. The actual value or the buying ability of this amount is worth P360.00 (about $10.00). The supposed family living wage (FLW) for a family of

5 is P967.00 ($26.00). Even if both parents are working, the total wage of both will still be short to provide for the family and with an additional cost for house help or child care.

Contractualisation & labour flexibilisation is rampant. With the absence of policy to stop this practice, employers are employing various techniques such as sacking permanent employees and hiring contractual ones, company re-structuring to change the status of the employees or establishing its own union to end the CBA and change their hiring system.

Labour flexibilisation includes compressed work-week and multitasking. With this, a total production of 76 hours can be achieved per line with only ordinary pay. This is also being practiced here in Australia by employers especially in process work.

Each worker will work for only 3 days per week from 12 to 14 hours per day

In any capitalist country like Australia, the workers are the first to get the brunt of economic crisis, get blamed for the slow progress and financial difficulty.

totalling 38 hrs. Machine operators produced for each machine a total of 76 production hours a week and the employer only pays each employee ordinary time rate. Sometimes, the employee is asked to come another day to work a shift, with no pay.

It is not easy to organise workers in the Philippines nor to form a workers union although unionism is legal and getting registered as a union is easy.

The government serves the interest of the capitalists especially the big foreign capitalists and sees to it that unions will be ineffective and if strong, is harassed and intimidated and or coerce. Workers forming a group or a union are terminated once the employer found out about it.

Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) or May First Movement organise workers through solid organising. Part of their organising work is organising the people inside the community.

Organisers work even after hours and meet workers after work. Part of the discussion and workers’ education is the Course on “Genuine, Militant and Anti-imperialist Unionism”.

KMU organisers discuss the principle of unionism and clarifies the realities of the contradiction between the capital and wages and between the capitalist and the workers. This contradiction will never be effaced.

Every increase in wages is decreased in profit. The organiser ensure that every union member understand this and that they are ready for the

8 Issue 36 contradiction they are facing and the possible retaliation of the capitalist.

The workers are made to understand that it is not easy to win, that every benefit, right and entitlement of the workers have to be fought for.

Militant standpoint for a united action is the only way. The workers cannot depend on someone else but their own united strength. The workers cannot depend on any political party or legal recourse. They need to understand and be well versed of the local and national issue so they know where they stand.

The union struggle is not enough to offer any meaningful change on the conditions of labour. Whatever success in their struggle or any reform in the labour policy can easily be overturned later. We see this happens so many times here in Australia. One example is the penalty rates for overtime work.

The workers need to unite with other exploited sectors in our society and struggle for a genuine change and for a true national democracy.

Without doing this, all those hard-won entitlements, benefits and workers’ rights will one by one disappear in time.

May Day in the Philippines Filipino workers see the May Day event as the yearly culmination and celebration of the workers’ struggle.

It is a day to show their unity with the workers and the exploited people in the whole world. May Day in the Philippines is not just a celebration but a day of big protests in various parts of the country against the exploitation of workers and for a better pay, better working conditions and for the recognition of workers’ rights.

KMU organises the biggest workers’ gathering as part of the May Day celebration. It includes an international gathering (ISA) where delegates from different regions in the Philippines and delegates from other countries join to share their experiences and discuss current workers’ issues, exposure tours

to regional areas and field trips to worksites where delegates especially the international delegates hear organising experience, stories and the workers struggles. Sharing is done mostly in picket lines.

The biggest event on May Day celebration is the May Day march and rally. Last Tuesday, the May Day rally was a historical first with about 60,000 in Metro Manila and 150,000 people nationwide marched – a very strong show of the workers’ growing frustration, disappointment and dissatisfaction over President Duterte’s failure to fulfil his promises. Rival labour federations across the political spectrum marched together.

In solidarity with Filipino workers, I enjoin you to: Write a short email to President Duterte, calling on his government to respect workers’ rights, increase the minimum wage to P750 per day, end contractualisation, stop large-scale mining projects on ancestral domains, stop the ‘drug war’ slaughter, end harassment and attacks on activists, and re-start the peace talks with the NDFP. Long live workers’ solidarity!

Maraming salamat! Thank you!

In the future, ALPA seeks to expand its partnership with progressive organisat membership of artists that are pro-people and critical to the current anti-peop

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If you would like to get more information about ALPA, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ALPAMELBOURNE/

ALPA, a new community-based arts and cultural organisation or send us an email: alpamelb@gmail.com.

By Reagan Maiquez

Advance League of Peoples’ Artist (ALPA) has been recently established as a new peoples’ organisation.

It aims to use creative and cultural work in examining social issues in the Philippines and Australia.

Advance League of Peoples’ Artists (Melbourne) was established to invigorate, create, and educate the public on social and cultural issues through the vehicle of art and creativity.

In this digital age, we strive to enhance creative skills as a community and for the community, especially in Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse environment.

ALPA envisions harnessing the power of culture, creativity, and art in examining and responding to the contemporary challenges faced by the local communities on a global and cosmopolitan setting.

ALPA currently works with ethnic communities and mass organisations in creating community theatre in the Western region of Metropolitan Melbourne.

ALPA and Community Theatre at Melbourne’s West ALPA is currently working with various community organisations, including Migrante Melbourne (West Chapter), Australian Karen Cultural Association Inc., African Family Services, and Australia Asia Performance Community Inc., in delivering a community theatre project at the City of Wyndham in Melbourne’s outer West. Entitled, I am/We are, this project aims to use theatre to discuss and examine the lives of migrants, refugees, partner

In the future, ALPA seeks to expand its partnership with progressive organisations and membership of artists that are pro-people and critical of the current anti-people policies.

If you would like to get more information about ALPA, visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook. com/ALPAMELBOURNE/ or send us an email: alpamelb@gmail.com.

and economic migrants as they settle, struggle, and live in Australia. ALPA’s current members include established theatre and film directors, scholars, student-artists, and writers. The photo below also shows the rehearsal of the Filipino group that will eventually be integrated with the performances from the Karen and African storytelling, dances, and drumming on the 2nd of June 2018 at Laverton Hub. Join us as we celebrate diversity, inclusivity, identity and connection in this project as well as future creative endeavours like community film workshops and creative development projects by this group in the coming years.

ALPA and May Day Cultural Night Last 3rd of May 2018, ALPA was invited to perform at the Annual May Day Cultural Night at Victorian Trades Hall. It was a night full of inspiring updates on the recent political and social situations around the world given by leaders from various community groups and unions. ALPA performed two poetries about the significance of May Day on the lives of Filipinos and Filipino-Australians and interpreted Danum by Saliddumay, a song about indigenous struggles in the Philippines beautifully metaphorised through the force of water. ALPA will continue to promote cultural and artistic expression that connects our struggles and gains as communities under pressure.

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International solidarity under attack

By Stu Harrison

When I met Catholic Missionary Sister Patricia Fox recently at a coffee shop in Quezon City, we were all wondering what would happen next.

A shadow of doubt had been placed over the numerous human rights activists from around the world who had traveled to the Philippines to express solidarity and learn.

Should we march? What precautions should we take?

After all, President Rodrigo Duterte’s claimed personal intervention to issue 71-year old Sr. Fox a deportation order after twenty-seven years in the country was a warning to all non-Filipino citizens: international solidarity was a crime that would be punished.

The deportation order followed the precedent set by now detained Senator Leila DeLima, under the previous Noynoy Aquino administration, who issued an operations order outlawing participation of foreigners in rallies and other political activities.

Duterte is simply using the tools of a broken system to push his own tyrannical agenda.

While Fox will be deported for involvement in a international human rights mission, Australian big business is being welcomed in their aim to exploit cheap labour and resources of Mindanao.

Far from his election promises of building a just peace, Duterte is consolidating power, punishing dissent and promoting cronyism of local and foreign big business. His claim that he never jailed a single critic is refuted by human rights group Karapatan who said 173 activists have been detained under his administration. Thousands

more are victims of his so-called drug war.

As a response to ongoing human rights concerns, there has been a long history of Australians showing solidarity with the Filipino progressive movement. Perhaps no one personifies this spirit more than Fox. Fox had been a Philippine solidarity activist since the late 1970s when her congregation took up the issue of human rights under the Marcos regime and Australia’s ongoing support for such violations. She was an active member of Philippine Australia Solidarity Group throughout the 80s before deciding to move to the Philippines full-time since the early 90s. Since then, she has played an invaluable role supporting peasant and indigenous struggles. For Fox and other progressive religious leaders in the Philippines, supporting the people’s struggle for justice is central to their social Catholic teachings. To not act in the face of injustice would be a crime against their beliefs.

It is perhaps no surprise that Fox

still seemed in shock at the news she was being deported. She has been in the country so long as to feel more at home there than her native Australia.

This is reflected in the support she has received since the deportation order was issued.

Fox told of her great surprise when many people visited her during her detention and after. As she told me, “they clearly don’t think I’m walking all over the Philippines”.

Bae Bibyaon, known for her leadership of the Lumad indigenous struggle in Mindanao, said Duterte’s decision was hypocritical considering the real foreign destruction happening across her territories.

“These mining and logging companies have a long list of human rights violations with our people but they can still freely monopolized our land, they are even secured with the government’s armed forces,” she said.

Similarly, Pasaka Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao (PASAKA) secretary general Jong Monzon stated, “We are

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saddened on Sr. Pat’s deportation.

We can clearly see that this regime has instilled fear to its people under Martial Law and we are more worried to know that this government can do anything not just to its people but also to those who are like Sr. Pat that has been on our side. We will never forget what Sr. Pat has done for us... She is more than a Filipino.”

The National Churches Council of the Philippines said, “The detention of Sister Patricia Fox speaks loud and clear of the powers that be, of their aim to suppress the truth and cast out those who dare tell it. With the increasing number of human rights violations, her detention is an indirect admission of guilt by this government, which threatens and persecutes human rights advocates who witness the suffering of and show solidarity with the vulnerable.”

Even the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called for a reconsideration of the deportation order following the wide outcry against the decision.

Back in Australia, 500 religious, political, labor and academic leaders have so far signed a petition initiated by Movement Against Tyranny Australia.

One thing is clear. Whatever happens, the struggle for human rights and social justice will continue both in the Philippines and Australia.

As Fox said, “Whatever happens, I will be forever grateful to all those Filipinos that I call my friends and for all those from both church and sectors who have supported me through this time. I may lose my right to be in the Philippines, but I can never lose the learnings and beautiful memories.”

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Important Dates and Upcoming Events 6 May 2018 May Day march, rally and concert “DEFEND WORKERS’ RIGHTS; DEMAND THE RIGHT TO STRIKE!” 12.00 noon, assembly at the corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton, Victoria

9 May 2018 “Change the Rules” Rally in Melbourne FIGHT FOR WORKERS’ RIGHTS, SAFE WORKING CONDITION, SECURITY IN JOB, LIVING WAGE & OTHER ENTITLEMENTS – CHANGE THE RULES! 10.00 am assembly at the corner of Lygon and Victoria Streets, Carlton, Victoria

18 May 2018 Public meeting on the Philippines “MARAWI SEIGE, MARTIAL LAW IN MINDANAO, HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION DUTERTE’S WAR ON DRUGS, STRUGGLE OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE. 6.30 pm, Meeting Room 1, Victorian Tradeshall, Victoria

2 June 2018 “I am / We are” Multicultural Performance LISTEN & WATCH A STORYTELLING THROUGH THEATRE AND PERFORMANCE BY FILIPINO, KAREN & AFRICAN COMMUNITY. 3.00 pm, Laverton Community Hub Function Room, Cnr Railway Ave, & Crown St, Laverton, Victoria

16 June 2018 Migrate Melbourne’s “Tipanan” DANCE, MEET FRIENDS, SHARE & ENJOY A FAMILY NIGHT SUPPORT DISTRESSED OVERSEAS WORKERS 6.00 pm, Koornang Uniting Church hall, 117 Murrumbeena Rd, Murrumbeena, Victoria.

6 October 2018 Gala Dinner Dance FUND RAISING EVENT FOR THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST FAMILY VIOLENCE

BY PARTNER MIGRANTS ADVOCATES NETWORK 6.00 pm, Grand Star Reception, 499 Grieve Parade, Altona North, Victoria

November 2018 International Migrant Alliance (IMA) 4th General Assembly “END MODERN DAY SLAVERY, TRAFFICKING AND NEOLIBERAL ATTACKS ON MIGRANTS AND FAMILIES” Mexico, Latin America (more details will be announced later)

23 – 26 June 2019 International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) 6th International Assembly (6thIA) “WIN A BRIGHT SOCIALIST FUTURE FOR HUMANITY! UNITE THE PEOPLE TO FIGHT AND END IMPERIALIST WAR, RACISM AND FASCISM!” Hong Kong (more details will be announced later)

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Migrante Australia is an alliance of voluntary community organisation of Filipino and Filipino-Australian migrants and workers promoting and upholding their welfare, human rights and workers’ rights. It also deepens members’ awareness of the root reasons of the Filipino diaspora to over 200 countries and settlement issues in their adopted homelands.

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