CONDEMNING the rising prices of basic goods and services, labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno called for a nationwide protest one week before Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s fourth State of the Nation Address on July 22, saying the protest, not the chief executive’s speech, will show the real situation of the Filipino people.
KMU condemned increases and pending increases in the prices and rates of what it calls “PaSaKiTT” or Petrolyo, SSS premium contributions, Kuryente, Tubig and Tuition Fee. The phrase comes from the Filipino word “pasakit” which stands for adds to suffering or one’s burden.
“We are calliing on Filipinos across the country to rise up against the rising prices of basic goods and services. Let us hold a nationwide protest one week before Aquino’s SONA and show the real state of the nation,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.
“Unemployment is increasing, the real value of wages is decreasing and landlessness among the poor in the countryside is getting worse. These price hikes will surely cause the worsening of hunger, poverty and suffering among the majority of Filipinos,” he added.
“It appears that some of these price hikes were held back in the run-up to the 2013 elections in an attempt to prevent protests and enhance the chances of the administration’s candidates. After strengthening his hold over Congress and the Senate, Aquino is now more aggressive and arrogant in imposing price hikes in order to please big capitalists,” he said.
“Aquino’s boasts about a growing economy are belied by the worsening of the suffering being experienced by Filipinos, especially the poor. A protest before his SONA boast-fest would highlight this fact,” Labog said.
Chevron led oil companies in increasing prices by hiking prices this morning by more than P1.00 per liter, thereby raising oil prices by more than P1.00 since the start of the year. Oil companies are citing the weakening of the peso against the dollar as the reason for the increase.
Water firm Maynilad will increase its per cubic meter rates by 17 centavos on the average this July, citing the weakening of the peso against other currencies. Maynilad and Manila Water are pushing for a rate hike that will increase customer bills by P342.30 and P234.30, respectively.
After increasing power rates by 27 centavos per kilowatt-hour last April, Meralco hiked power rates by 22 centavos per kilowatt-hour this June.
Youth groups led by Anakbayan, meanwhile, are holding protests against the implementation of tuition fee increases in more than 300 colleges and universities nationwide this June.
Workers on the other hand are protesting plans to increase monthly premium contributions to the Social Security System from 10.4 per cent to 11 per cent, causing minimum wage earners in Metro Manila to pay P66.50 more.
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