Marcos vows to prioritize labor protection if he becomes president
Former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is leading the pre-election survey for president in the May 9 polls, vows to prioritize labor protection if he wins.
"This is my concept when it comes to labor. The number one priority is to protect the labor force. We will prioritize that and from there it will flow... and if the treatment of the worker is good I think the rest of all the issue will flow from that," Marcos said during the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) Town Hall meeting on Labor Day.
"Our plan is to further strengthen the economy but if we are going to study the history of different countries with rapid industrialization, what was left behind is labor. That is why we have to make sure that our workers are protected in various different ways not only financially. They (should) have the security of tenure, working conditions, health and safety all of these things are under the ambit of what we call protection of labor workers and that is what I am going to prioritize If I win the election," he said.
"That is my priority to protect the workers because if not because of you none of our plans will be completed," he added.
Despite the clamor to increase the minimum wage, Marcos said "for now" the priority should be labor protection to balance the interest of the economy.
"We need to balance the interest of the economy and the protection, I think instead of looking at wages for now because we need to attract... all of these things we have to balance on what we are trying to do... I think the best way to do this is to start making sure that the enforcement of all the benefits and protection in the law will be strengthened," he said.
"What I really think is how to protect the labor force because the labor force is always in all of the stakeholders in business. It seems that the voice of the labor is always left behind that is why maybe we have to strengthen this," he added.
Marcos also assured to sign the amended Security of Tenure bill if he will become president.
"The Security of Tenure bill that we hope to amend, rewrite and fix to pass... if I will become the president, if its version is good I will really sign it," he said.
"The second opportunity that I think is the Department of Migrant Workers because the duty of the Department of Migrant workers will become clear. The OWWA (Overseas Workers Welfare Administration) will be transferred and DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) is there. It will be very clear for them to properly focus on their service," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
