Senator Bong Go (Photo courtesy of SBG Facebook)
MANILA – The determination and tenacity of Filipino workers who continue to make sacrifices to secure the future of their families despite the pandemic is the best way to mark Labor Day.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Saturday said the workers should feel assured that the government continues to promote their welfare and urged employers to prioritize their employees, given the adverse socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Mula noon at hanggang ngayon, ang mga manggagawang Pilipino ang siyang pangunahing dahilan ng pag-usbong ng ating ekonomiya at ng ating mga pamayanan. Ang pag-unlad na ating tinatamasa bilang bansa ngayon ay dulot ng kasipagan at husay na pinapakita nila sa kanilang trabaho (The Filipino worker has always been the driving force of the economy and the community. Whatever progress we are experiencing now, it is because of their hard work and skills),” he said in a statement.
“Kaya mahalaga na protektahan ang kalusugan, karapatan, at kapakanan ng lahat ng mga manggagawang Pilipino, lalo na ang ating mga front-liners (That is why it is important that we must protect the health, rights, and welfare of Filipino workers, especially the front-liners),” he added.
Go, a member of the Senate Committee on Labor, vowed to continue to push for measures that can promote the swift economic recovery of the country for the benefit of Filipino workers.
“Habang dahan dahan at maingat nating binubuksan ang ating ekonomiya sa ligtas na paraan, kailangan nating patuloy na pagaanin ang hirap na pinapasan ng ating mga kababayan (As we slowly and carefully reopen the economy, we will continue finding ways to make conditions easier for workers),” he added.
Throughout the pandemic, Go has pushed for key interventions to help workers cope with the challenges, including the implementation of the Social Amelioration Program, Small Business Wage Subsidy Program, Supplemental Amelioration Program, moratorium on electricity bills, rent and bank loans, and the passage of the Bayanihan 1 and 2 laws.
As the national vaccination program makes headway, he assured that essential workers in the A4 category will be prioritized for vaccination after medical front-liners, senior citizens, and those with comorbidities.
Go appealed on behalf of workers considered as part of essential sectors to be vaccinated under the A4 category, such as those from news media, Professional Regulation Commission front-liners, market vendors, transport sectors, seafarers, and overseas Filipino workers to be deployed soon, among others.
“Kung protektado ang ating mga manggagawa, mas maibabalik natin muli ang sigla ng kanilang kabuhayan, makakatulong sila sa ekonomiya, at mas masisiguro nating hindi magugutom ang kanilang mga pamilya (If our workers are protected, it will be easier for the economy to recover while assuring their families will not go hungry),” he said. (PR)
