Coordinamento; Phipippines Country Report

PHILIPPINES COUNTRY REPORT

Based on conference presentations
by Ms.Venus Culili
Center for Applied Research and Library Services

  IN the Philippines, female EPZ workers are expected to be single and college educated. But being single is not a requirement for male workers. Jobs that require higher skills typically go to men, regardless of educational attainment.
  In addition to discrimination in the workplace, Filipina EPZ workers suffer from a "double burden" of housework and factory work. Women workers spend 8.7 hours/day on housework while men spend only 2.5 hours/day.
   The government's development plan, Pilipinas 2000, is aimed at making the Philippines a NIC by the year 2000 - at the expense of workers. The official blueprint is known as the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) which calls for "labour flexibility measures."
   The situation in the EPZs reflect disastrous economic facts. As of 1993, only 45% of the 27.7 million Filipino workers were fully employed. Child labour is commonly used in the country side and plantation areas and is becoming more prevalent in the urban areas. The minimum wage falls far short of the 256 pesos/day (US$9.98) cost of living.
   Low labour costs, high unemployment, and a trade deficit help make EPZs an attractive economic development scheme. The traditional EPZs have mutated into more complex and grander concepts: industrial estates, regional in dustrial centers (RICs), and growth poly gons (i.e., BIMP-EAGA - with Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia).
   The Marcos regime had a "no union, no strike" policy in the EPZs. Under the Ramos administration, widespread contracting and sub-contracting of labour has had an equally damaging effect on organising and on wages and working conditions.
   "Revolving door" tactics are becoming more and more common among EPZ employers. They lay off workers before the sixth month of employment so that they do not have to regularise them as required by law. Workers are then required to "rest" for 3 months with the guarantee of being rehired. "Apprentice" and "trainee" categories are also used to evade legal protections and worker benefit payments.

AT A GLANCE

EXPORT PROCESSING ZONES
Bataan, Mactan, Baguio, Cavite
Govemment-administered regional industrial centers(16): e.g.CALABARZON. Cagayan de Oro, La Union, Zamboanga are planned as next regional industrial centers.
Industrial parks/estates (36): Owned by private businesses, e.g. LagunaTechnopark, Subic Industrial Park
Growth areas: BIMP-EAGA, ASEAN, AFTA
POPULATION
66.5 million
LABOUR FORCE
26.Z million (40.7% of population) (1993)
EPZ WORKERS
68,500(1994)
EPZ EMPLOYMENT 0.3% (of total employment)
UNIONISATION IN EPZS
85% in Bataan; 0% in Mactan
UNIONISATION OUTSIDE EPZS
13%
DAILY MINIMUM WAGE
145 pesos (US$ 5.61 at a rate of 25.59 pesos/SUS1)
UNEMPLOYMENT
11.1 % unemployment rate; 21 % underem ployed; 34% work less than 40 hours per week and want additional hours of work
ECONOMIC GROWTH
5.4% (1994),5.8% (July 1995)
PER CAPITA GDP (PPP)
USS2,660
INFLATION RATE (CPI)
9.1% (1994),7.2% (June 1995)
FOREIGN DEBT
US$ 37.3 billion
BELOW POVERTY LINE
5.3 million families; 49% of the population

Then and Now

During Marcos' time, 41 unions were organised in BataanEPZ. Butnowonly 18 are left and are still f~htingfor their futures.
   The no strike, no union policy implemented by Marcos and enhanced by the Ramos administration, was used against 1,400 Lotus workers when they went on strike over the frm's illegal closure. Striking workers were prevented by the police from setting up a picket line on company premises.
   Lotus closed down on August 23, 1993 citing financial problems. A week later it resumed operations as the Paramount Footwear Inc.
   Paramount manufactures the same product under the same manage ment but offers workers a daily wage of P122, 55 pesos less than whatLotus workerswereearning. And there is no union at Paramount.

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