The Philippine Online Chronicles

“The Filipino worker is worth fighting for,” a bold statement printed on a large tarpaulin hanged at the backdrop of the launch of the Maka-Manggagawa Movement and its endorsement of Susan “Toots” Ople for Senator earlier today at the Isabelo delos Reyes auditorium in the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR) in Diliman, Quezon City.

Susan “Toots” Ople, former labor undersecretary and the youngest daughter of the late Senator and statesman Blas F. Ople declared her bid for a seat in the Senate in the upcoming 2010 elections.

In attendance were hundreds of laborers from more than 30 strong OFW, labor and allied groups such as the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), Pwersa ng Pandaigdigang Pilipino (PPP), AKAP Tao, Alliance of Filipino Workers, Association of Construction and Informal Workers, International Federation of OFW and Family, Federation of OFW Family, 137 Dubai Bus Drivers, Friends of OPLE, OPLE Youth, and many others, who expressed their support to Toots Ople’s candidacy.

Also, she announced her 5 point agenda which she’s bringing to the policy table:

1. “Develop a long-term strategic employment plan with clear targets and complemented by a labor and skills map to address the mismatch between available jobs and available skills.” “Dahil wala tayo pang matagalang employment strategies, maski musmos, paga-abroad na ang iniisip,” she adds.

2. “Structural reforms in OWWA, POEA, NLRC and DoLE to include more OFW seats in OWWA’s Governing Board, professional standards and higher pay to discourage corruption among labor arbiters and hearing officers at NLRC and POEA, and greater focus on local employment and social protection within DoLE.”

3. “A strong stance against the unethical and exploitative outsourcing of core and essential jobs, which hinders the growth of unions, and the right to collective bargaining agreements.”

4. “To make it a national inspiration and aspiration that by the end of six years, whoever sits as president, shall endeavor to cut by half the number of Filipino women leaving the country to work as domestic helpers abroad.”

5. “Empowerment of trade unions and workers’ associations including cooperatives.”

Detained Senator Antonio Trillanes, through his Chief-of-Staff Atty. Reynaldo Robles, sent a letter backing Ople’s bid for Senator. He also encouraged Filipino workers, and members of the Samahang Magdalo to support her candidacy.

Following Sen. Trillanes and the Magdalo’s support, the Young Officers’ Union (YOU) represented by Ricky Rivera, the Secretary General of the organization, also stood behind Ople’s bid for the Senate.

Susan Ople was known as head of the Blas F. Ople Policy Center, a non-government organization that is actively involved in helping distressed OFWs and labor workers

Here is a video on some of Susan Ople's achievements:.

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First Photo by Maalab de los Reyes. Second and Third Photo by author. Video by Carlo Ople. Some rights reserved.